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

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 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
• 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

Related Subjects

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-)