Carbon cycle and climate warming

Journal Article · Fri Dec 09 00:00:00 EST 1983 · Res. News; (United States)

OSTI ID:6415608

Kerr, R A

The increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is expected to cause a warming of the earth. This increase is due to the fact that more carbon is released into the atmosphere than is removed by the biota and the oceans. Understanding the carbon cycle is important in predicting future warming. A major uncertainty is the timing and magnitude of future releases of CO/sub 2/ from the burning of fossil fuels. Today, 1.1 tons of carbon as CO/sub 2/ are released every year for every person on Earth. Estimates are given on how much CO/sub 2/ has been released into the atmosphere since fossil fuels have been burned. The ultimate aim of carbon cycle research is to predict how the concentration of CO/sub 2/ in the atmosphere will vary as mankind pumps more and more of it into the atmosphere.

• OSTI ID: 6415608
• Journal Information: Res. News; (United States), Vol. 222
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON DIOXIDE
BUILDUP
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FOSSIL FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
AIR POLLUTION
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CARBON CYCLE
FORECASTING
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
POLLUTION SOURCES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
WASTES
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)