Formulating energy policies related to fossil fuel use: Critical uncertainties in the global carbon cycle
Abstract
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.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- DOE/ER
- OSTI Identifier:
- 6984826
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-900255-1
ON: DE90008741
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- Resource Type:
- Conference
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Southeast regional climate symposium: global change - a southern perspective, Charleston, SC (USA), 19-22 Feb 1990
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; CARBON CYCLE; GLOBAL ASPECTS; CARBON DIOXIDE; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ENERGY POLICY; FOSSIL FUELS; COMBUSTION; OCEANIC CIRCULATION; ATMOSPHERES; BIOSPHERE; BUFFERS; CARBON 12; CARBON 13; CARBON 14; DYNAMICS; FORECASTING; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; HYDROLOGY; LAND USE; OCEANOGRAPHY; RADON 222; SEDIMENTS; TEMPERATURE EFFECTS; TRITIUM; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON ISOTOPES; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; ENERGY SOURCES; ENVIRONMENT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FUELS; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; HEAVY NUCLEI; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MECHANICS; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; OXIDATION; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIOISOTOPES; RADON ISOTOPES; STABLE ISOTOPES; THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; Atmospheric Environment; Chemical Monitoring & Transport; 540120* - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-); 200500 - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Environmental Aspects- (1990-)
Citation Formats
Post, W M, Dale, V H, DeAngelis, D L, Mann, L K, Mulholland, P J, O'Neill, R V, Peng, T -H, and Farrell, M P. Formulating energy policies related to fossil fuel use: Critical uncertainties in the global carbon cycle. United States: N. p., 1990.
Web.
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. Formulating energy policies related to fossil fuel use: Critical uncertainties in the global carbon cycle. United States.
Post, W M, Dale, V H, DeAngelis, D L, Mann, L K, Mulholland, P J, O'Neill, R V, Peng, T -H, and Farrell, M P. 1990.
"Formulating energy policies related to fossil fuel use: Critical uncertainties in the global carbon cycle". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6984826.
@article{osti_6984826,
title = {Formulating energy policies related to fossil fuel use: Critical uncertainties in the global carbon cycle},
author = {Post, W M and Dale, V H and DeAngelis, D L and Mann, L K and Mulholland, P J and O'Neill, R V and Peng, T -H and Farrell, M P},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6984826},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990}
}