scholarly journals Atmospheric carbon dioxide and the global carbon cycle

1985 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Trabalka
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Carbon Cycle ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon ◽  
Global Carbon

scholarly journals Explaining the seasonal cycle of the globally averaged CO<sub>2</sub> with a carbon-cycle model

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Alexandrov
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Carbon Cycle ◽  
Cycle Model ◽  
Carbon Cycle Model ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Concentrations ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon ◽  
Global Carbon

Abstract. The seasonal changes in the globally averaged atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentrations reflect an important aspect of the global carbon cycle: the gas exchange between the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere. The data on the globally averaged atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentrations, which are reported by Earth System Research Laboratory of the US National Oceanic &amp; Atmospheric Administration (NOAA/ESRL), could be used to demonstrate the adequacy of the global carbon-cycle models. However, it was recently found that the observed amplitude of seasonal variations in the atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentrations is higher than simulated. In this paper, the factors that affect the amplitude of seasonal variations are explored using a carbon-cycle model of reduced complexity. The model runs show that the low amplitude of the simulated seasonal variations may result from underestimated effect of substrate limitation on the seasonal pattern of heterotrophic respiration and from an underestimated magnitude of the annual gross primary production (GPP) in the terrestrial ecosystems located to the north of 25° N.

scholarly journals Using airborne HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) to evaluate model and remote sensing estimates of atmospheric carbon dioxide

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Frankenberg ◽  
S. S. Kulawik ◽  
S. Wofsy ◽  
F. Chevallier ◽  
B. Daube ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Accuracy And Precision ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2 ◽  
Global Carbon ◽  
Comparable Quality

Abstract. In recent years, space-borne observations of atmospheric carbon-dioxide (CO2) have become increasingly used in global carbon-cycle studies. In order to obtain added value from space-borne measurements, they have to suffice stringent accuracy and precision requirements, with the latter being less crucial as it can be reduced by just enhanced sample size. Validation of CO2 column averaged dry air mole fractions (XCO2) heavily relies on measurements of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network TCCON. Owing to the sparseness of the network and the requirements imposed on space-based measurements, independent additional validation is highly valuable. Here, we use observations from the HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) flights from January 2009 through September 2011 to validate CO2 measurements from satellites (GOSAT, TES, AIRS) and atmospheric inversion models (CarbonTracker CT2013B, MACC v13r1). We find that the atmospheric models capture the XCO2 variability observed in HIPPO flights very well, with correlation coefficients (r2) of 0.93 and 0.95 for CT2013B and MACC, respectively. Some larger discrepancies can be observed in profile comparisons at higher latitudes, esp. at 300 hPa during the peaks of either carbon uptake or release. These deviations can be up to 4 ppm and hint at misrepresentation of vertical transport. Comparisons with the GOSAT satellite are of comparable quality, with an r2 of 0.85, a mean bias μ of −0.06 ppm and a standard deviation σ of 0.45 ppm. TES exhibits an r2 of 0.75, μ of 0.34 ppm and σ of 1.13 ppm. For AIRS, we find an r2 of 0.37, μ of 1.11 ppm and σ of 1.46 ppm, with latitude-dependent biases. For these comparisons at least 6, 20 and 50 atmospheric soundings have been averaged for GOSAT, TES and AIRS, respectively. Overall, we find that GOSAT soundings over the remote pacific ocean mostly meet the stringent accuracy requirements of about 0.5 ppm for space-based CO2 observations.

scholarly journals Satellites Reveal a Temporary Carbon Sink over Australia

Eos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Wheeling
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Satellite Measurements ◽  
Droughts And Floods ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon

Satellite measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide provide insights into how droughts and floods influence the carbon cycle on the semiarid continent of Australia.

A 35-million-year record of seawater stable Sr isotopes reveals a fluctuating global carbon cycle

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 371 (6536) ◽  
pp. 1346-1350
Author(s):  
Adina Paytan ◽  
Elizabeth M. Griffith ◽  
Anton Eisenhauer ◽  
Mathis P. Hain ◽  
Klaus Wallmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Global Carbon Cycle ◽  
Sr Isotopes ◽  
Sr Isotope ◽  
Sources And Sinks ◽  
Isotope Record ◽  
Biogenic Carbonates ◽  
Stable Strontium ◽  
Global Carbon

Changes in the concentration and isotopic composition of the major constituents in seawater reflect changes in their sources and sinks. Because many of the processes controlling these sources and sinks are tied to the cycling of carbon, such records can provide insights into what drives past changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate. Here, we present a stable strontium (Sr) isotope record derived from pelagic marine barite. Our δ88/86Sr record exhibits a complex pattern, first declining between 35 and 15 million years ago (Ma), then increasing from 15 to 5 Ma, before declining again from ~5 Ma to the present. Numerical modeling reveals that the associated fluctuations in seawater Sr concentrations are about ±25% relative to present-day seawater. We interpret the δ88/86Sr data as reflecting changes in the mineralogy and burial location of biogenic carbonates.

scholarly journals The global carbon budget 1959–2011

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Le Quéré ◽  
R. J. Andres ◽  
T. Boden ◽  
T. Conway ◽  
R. A. Houghton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Carbon Budget ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Global Carbon Cycle ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
Global Carbon Budget ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 Concentration ◽  
Global Carbon

Abstract. Accurate assessments of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and their redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and terrestrial biosphere is important to better understand the global carbon cycle, support the climate policy process, and project future climate change. Present-day analysis requires the combination of a range of data, algorithms, statistics and model estimates and their interpretation by a broad scientific community. Here we describe datasets and a methodology developed by the global carbon cycle science community to quantify all major components of the global carbon budget, including their uncertainties. We discuss changes compared to previous estimates, consistency within and among components, and methodology and data limitations. CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production (EFF) are based on energy statistics, while emissions from Land-Use Change (ELUC), including deforestation, are based on combined evidence from land cover change data, fire activity in regions undergoing deforestation, and models. The global atmospheric CO2 concentration is measured directly and its rate of growth (GATM) is computed from the concentration. The mean ocean CO2 sink (SOCEAN) is based on observations from the 1990s, while the annual anomalies and trends are estimated with ocean models. Finally, the global residual terrestrial CO2 sink (SLAND) is estimated by the difference of the other terms. For the last decade available (2002–2011), EFF was 8.3 &amp;pm; 0.4 PgC yr−1, ELUC 1.0 &amp;pm; 0.5 PgC yr−1, GATM 4.3 &amp;pm; 0.1 PgC yr−1, SOCEAN 2.5 &amp;pm; 0.5 PgC yr−1, and SLAND 2.6 &amp;pm; 0.8 PgC yr−1. For year 2011 alone, EFF was 9.5 &amp;pm; 0.5 PgC yr−1, 3.0 percent above 2010, reflecting a continued trend in these emissions; ELUC was 0.9 &amp;pm; 0.5 PgC yr−1, approximately constant throughout the decade; GATM was 3.6 &amp;pm; 0.2 PgC yr−1, SOCEAN was 2.7 &amp;pm; 0.5 PgC yr−1, and SLAND was 4.1 &amp;pm; 0.9 PgC yr−1. GATM was low in 2011 compared to the 2002–2011 average because of a high uptake by the land probably in response to natural climate variability associated to La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean. The global atmospheric CO2 concentration reached 391.31 &amp;pm; 0.13 ppm at the end of year 2011. We estimate that EFF will have increased by 2.6% (1.9–3.5%) in 2012 based on projections of gross world product and recent changes in the carbon intensity of the economy. All uncertainties are reported as &amp;pm;1 sigma (68% confidence assuming Gaussian error distributions that the real value lies within the given interval), reflecting the current capacity to characterise the annual estimates of each component of the global carbon budget. This paper is intended to provide a baseline to keep track of annual carbon budgets in the future. All data presented here can be downloaded from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (doi:10.3334/CDIAC/GCP_V2013). Global carbon budget 2013

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