THE O 2 BALANCE OF THE ATMOSPHERE: A Tool for Studying the Fate of Fossil-Fuel CO 2

▪ Abstract  Carbon dioxide is a radiatively active gas whose atmospheric concentration increase is likely to affect Earth's climate. CO 2 is added to the atmosphere by biomass burning and the combustion of fossil fuels. Some added CO 2 remains in the atmosphere. However, substantial amounts are...

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Published in:Annual review of energy and the environment 1998-11, Vol.23 (1), p.207-223
Main Authors: Bender, Michael L., Battle, Mark, Keeling, Ralph F.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:▪ Abstract  Carbon dioxide is a radiatively active gas whose atmospheric concentration increase is likely to affect Earth's climate. CO 2 is added to the atmosphere by biomass burning and the combustion of fossil fuels. Some added CO 2 remains in the atmosphere. However, substantial amounts are taken up by the oceans and land biosphere, attenuating the atmospheric increase. Atmospheric O 2 measurements provide one constraint for partitioning uptake rates between the ocean and the land biosphere. Here we review studies of atmospheric O 2 concentration variations and discuss their implications for CO 2 uptake by the ocean and the land biosphere. We compare estimates of anthropogenic carbon fluxes from O 2 studies with estimates from other approaches and examine the contribution of natural ocean carbon fluxes to atmospheric O 2 variations.
ISSN:1056-3466
DOI:10.1146/annurev.energy.23.1.207