Formulating energy policies related to fossil fuel use: Critical uncertainties in the global carbon cycle

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6984826

Post, W M; Dale, V H; DeAngelis, D L; Mann, L K; Mulholland, P J; O'Neill, R V; Peng, T -H; Farrell, M P

The global carbon cycle is the dynamic interaction among the earth's carbon sources and sinks. Four reservoirs can be identified, including the atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere, oceans, and sediments. Atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration is determined by characteristics of carbon fluxes among major reservoirs of the global carbon cycle. The objective of this paper is to document the knowns, and unknowns and uncertainties associated with key questions that if answered will increase the understanding of the portion of past, present, and future atmospheric CO{sub 2} attributable to fossil fuel burning. Documented atmospheric increases in CO{sub 2} levels are thought to result primarily from fossil fuel use and, perhaps, deforestation. However, the observed atmospheric CO{sub 2} increase is less than expected from current understanding of the global carbon cycle because of poorly understood interactions among the major carbon reservoirs. 87 refs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6984826
• Report Number(s): CONF-900255-1; ON: DE90008741
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200500 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Environmental Aspects-- (1990-)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ATMOSPHERES
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
Atmospheric Environment
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOSPHERE
BUFFERS
CARBON 12
CARBON 13
CARBON 14
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON CYCLE
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
Chemical Monitoring & Transport
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DYNAMICS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENERGY POLICY
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FORECASTING
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
HYDROLOGY
ISOTOPES
LAND USE
LIGHT NUCLEI
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
NUCLEI
OCEANIC CIRCULATION
OCEANOGRAPHY
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
SEDIMENTS
STABLE ISOTOPES
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRITIUM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES