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Trends in the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide

Journal Article · · Nature Geoscience
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo689· OSTI ID:1015099
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [5];  [5];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [10];  [10];  [10];  [11];  [12];  [13];  [14];  [15];  [15] more »;  [16];  [16];  [17];  [4];  [18];  [19];  [20];  [21];  [22];  [23] « less
  1. University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
  2. GCP, Canberra, Australia
  3. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
  4. ORNL
  5. National Center for Scientific Research, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
  6. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environement, France
  7. NOAA, Boulder, CO
  8. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  9. NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
  10. University of Bristol, UK
  11. Purdue University
  12. Woods Hole Research Center, Woods Hole, MA
  13. Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Oxon, England
  14. Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Midlothian, Scotland
  15. University of Sheffield
  16. Princeton University
  17. University of Paris
  18. University of California, Irvine
  19. Center for International Climate and Energy Research (CICERO), Oslo, Norway
  20. University of Montana, Missoula
  21. University of Leeds, UK
  22. Columbia University
  23. Universitate Amsterdam
+ Show Author Affiliations

Efforts to control climate change require the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. This can only be achieved through a drastic reduction of global CO2 emissions. Yet fossil fuel emissions increased by 29% between 2000 and 2008, in conjunction with increased contributions from emerging economies, from the production and international trade of goods and services, and from the use of coal as a fuel source. In contrast, emissions from land-use changes were nearly constant. Between 1959 and 2008, 43% of each year's CO2 emissions remained in the atmosphere on average; the rest was absorbed by carbon sinks on land and in the oceans. In the past 50 years, the fraction of CO2 emissions that remains in the atmosphere each year has likely increased, from about 40% to 45%, and models suggest that this trend was caused by a decrease in the uptake of CO2 by the carbon sinks in response to climate change and variability. Changes in the CO2 sinks are highly uncertain, but they could have a significant influence on future atmospheric CO2 levels. It is therefore crucial to reduce the uncertainties.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1015099
Journal Information:
Nature Geoscience, Journal Name: Nature Geoscience Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 2; ISSN 1752-0894
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON SINKS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
COAL
FOSSIL FUELS
LAND USE
REDUCTION
STABILIZATION