Activities of the global biosphere as reflected in atmospheric CO/sub 2/ records

Conference · Wed Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 1980 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5417941

Pearman, G I; Hyson, P

A two-dimensional global diffusion simulation model is used to establish zonal and monthly average net surface fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO/sub 2/) which are consistent with the variations in CO/sub 2/ concentration observed at six monitoring stations distributed globally. These fluxes represent the zonally averaged net ecosystem production of primarily terrestrial biosphere. Annually, the global net ecosystem production during the photosynthetically more active season removed 6.8 x 10/sup 12/ kg of carbon from the atmosphere, returning it during the less active winter months. This turnover represents about 14% of the annual continental net primary production of carbon and 0.8% of the total terrestrial biomass. During the growing season, net ecosystem production appears to be relatively independent of latitude in the northern hemisphere (approx. 6 x 10/sup -9/ kg carbon m/sup -2/ s/sup -1/). The model indicates that time correlations between the CO/sub 2/ concentration at different altitudes of the northern hemisphere with the interhemispheric advection of air results in a net interhemispheric CO/sub 2/ flux which becomes zero when the South Pole CO/sub 2/ concentration is on average 0.92 ppmV above that at Mauna Loa, Hawaii. The influence of both the net and the gross atmospheric biospheric exchange of carbon on the atmospheric stable carbon isotope ratio is modeled. On time scales of a year the gross turnover of carbon has an insignificant effect, and all isotopic effects can be related to the net exchanges. It is argued that as with concentration, long-term trends in isotopic composition will be best observed in the southern hemisphere. 43 references, 5 figures, 7 tables.

• Research Organization: CSIRO Div. of Atmospheric Physics, Mordialloc, Victoria, Australia
• OSTI ID: 5417941
• Report Number(s): CONF-790842-
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 85:C8; Conference: International conference of global atmospheric pollution, Boulder, CO, USA, 12 Aug 1979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON DIOXIDE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
AIR POLLUTION
BIOSPHERE
ECOSYSTEMS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
ISOTOPE RATIO
PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING
SIMULATION
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
ENVIRONMENT
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
VARIATIONS
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)