scholarly journals Variable C/P composition of organic production and its effect onocean carbon storage in glacial model simulations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Ödalen ◽  
Jonas Nycander ◽  
Andy Ridgwell ◽  
Kevin I. C. Oliver ◽  
Carlye D. Peterson ◽  
...  

Abstract. During the four most recent glacial maxima, atmospheric CO2 has been lowered by about 90--100 ppm with respect to interglacial concentrations. It is likely that most of the atmospheric CO2 deficit was stored in the ocean. Changes of the biological pump, which are related to the efficiency of the biological carbon uptake in the surface ocean and/or of the export of organic carbon to the deep ocean, have been proposed as a key mechanism for the increased glacial oceanic CO2 storage. The biological pump is strongly constrained by the amount of available surface nutrients. In models, it is generally assumed that the ratio between elemental nutrients, e.g. phosphorus, and carbon (C/P ratio) in organic material is fixed according to the classical Redfield ratio. The constant Redfield ratio appears to hold approximately when averaged over basin scales, but observations document highly variable C/P ratios on regional scales and between species. If the C/P ratio decreases when nutrient availability is scarce, as observations suggest, this has the potential to further increase glacial oceanic CO2 storage in response to changes in surface nutrient distributions. In the present study, we perform a sensitivity study to test how a phosphate--concentration dependent C/P ratio influences the oceanic CO2 storage in an Earth system model of intermediate complexity (cGENIE). We carry out simulations of glacial--like changes in albedo, radiative forcing, wind--forced circulation, remineralisation depth of organic matter, and mineral dust deposition. Specifically, we compare model versions with with the classical constant Redfield ratio and an observationally-motivated variable C/P ratio, in which the carbon uptake increases with decreasing phosphate concentration. While a flexible C/P ratio does not impact the model's ability to simulate benthic d13C patterns seen in observational data, our results indicate that, in production of organic matter, flexible C/P can further increase the oceanic storage of CO2 in glacial model simulations. Past and future changes in the C/P ratio thus have implications for correctly projecting changes in oceanic carbon storage in glacial-to-interglacial transitions as well as in the present context of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 2219-2244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Ödalen ◽  
Jonas Nycander ◽  
Andy Ridgwell ◽  
Kevin I. C. Oliver ◽  
Carlye D. Peterson ◽  
...  

Abstract. During the four most recent glacial maxima, atmospheric CO2 has been lowered by about 90–100 ppm with respect to interglacial concentrations. It is likely that most of the atmospheric CO2 deficit was stored in the ocean. Changes in the biological pump, which are related to the efficiency of the biological carbon uptake in the surface ocean and/or of the export of organic carbon to the deep ocean, have been proposed as a key mechanism for the increased glacial oceanic CO2 storage. The biological pump is strongly constrained by the amount of available surface nutrients. In models, it is generally assumed that the ratio between elemental nutrients, such as phosphorus, and carbon (C∕P ratio) in organic material is fixed according to the classical Redfield ratio. The constant Redfield ratio appears to approximately hold when averaged over basin scales, but observations document highly variable C∕P ratios on regional scales and between species. If the C∕P ratio increases when phosphate availability is scarce, as observations suggest, this has the potential to further increase glacial oceanic CO2 storage in response to changes in surface nutrient distributions. In the present study, we perform a sensitivity study to test how a phosphate-concentration-dependent C∕P ratio influences the oceanic CO2 storage in an Earth system model of intermediate complexity (cGENIE). We carry out simulations of glacial-like changes in albedo, radiative forcing, wind-forced circulation, remineralization depth of organic matter, and mineral dust deposition. Specifically, we compare model versions with the classical constant Redfield ratio and an observationally motivated variable C∕P ratio, in which the carbon uptake increases with decreasing phosphate concentration. While a flexible C∕P ratio does not impact the model's ability to simulate benthic δ13C patterns seen in observational data, our results indicate that, in production of organic matter, flexible C∕P can further increase the oceanic storage of CO2 in glacial model simulations. Past and future changes in the C∕P ratio thus have implications for correctly projecting changes in oceanic carbon storage in glacial-to-interglacial transitions as well as in the present context of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Ödalen ◽  
Jonas Nycander ◽  
Andy Ridgwell ◽  
Kevin I. C. Oliver ◽  
Carlye D. Peterson ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 1603-1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Oschlies

Abstract. The sensitivity of oceanic CO2 uptake to alterations in the marine biological carbon pump, such as brought about by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization, has repeatedly been investigated by studies employing numerical biogeochemical ocean models. It is shown here that the results of such ocean-centered studies are very sensitive to the assumption made about the response of the carbon reservoirs on the atmospheric side of the sea surface. Assumptions made include prescribed atmospheric pCO2, an interactive atmospheric CO2 pool exchanging carbon with the ocean but not with the terrestrial biosphere, and an interactive atmosphere that exchanges carbon with both oceanic and terrestrial carbon pools. The impact of these assumptions on simulated annual to millennial oceanic carbon uptake is investigated for a hypothetical increase in the C:N ratio of the biological pump and for an idealized enhancement of phytoplankton growth. Compared to simulations with interactive atmosphere, using prescribed atmospheric pCO2 overestimates the sensitivity of the oceanic CO2 uptake to changes in the biological pump, by about 2%, 25%, 100%, and >500% on annual, decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively. The smaller efficiency of the oceanic carbon uptake under an interactive atmosphere is due to the back flux of CO2 that occurs when atmospheric CO2 is reduced. Adding an interactive terrestrial carbon pool to the atmosphere-ocean model system has a small effect on annual timescales, but increases the simulated fertilization-induced oceanic carbon uptake by about 4%, 50%, and 100% on decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively, for pCO2 sensitivities of the terrestrial carbon storage in the middle range of the C4MIP models (Friedlingstein et al., 2006). For such sensitivities, a substantial fraction of oceanic carbon uptake induced by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization originates, on timescales longer than decades, not from the atmosphere but from the terrestrial biosphere.


Author(s):  
Trina Stephens

Land‐use change can have a major impact on soil properties, leading to long‐term changes in soilnutrient cycling rates and carbon storage. While a substantial amount of research has been conducted onland‐use change in tropical regions, empirical evidence of long‐term conversion of forested land toagricultural land in North America is lacking. Pervasive deforestation for the sake of agriculturethroughout much of North America is likely to have modified soil properties, with implications for theglobal climate. Here, we examined the response of physical, chemical and biological soil properties toconversion of forest to agricultural land (100 years ago) on Roebuck Farm near Perth, Ontario, Canada.Soil samples were collected at three sites from under forest and agricultural vegetative cover on bothhigh‐ and low‐lying topographic positions (12 locations in total; soil profile sampled to a depth of 40cm).Our results revealed that bulk density, pH, and nitrate concentrations were all higher in soils collectedfrom cultivate sites. In contrast, samples from forested sites exhibited greater water‐holding capacity,porosity, organic matter content, ammonia concentrations and cation exchange capacity. Many of these characteristics are linked to greater organic matter abundance and diversity in soils under forestvegetation as compared with agricultural soils. Microbial activity and Q10 values were also higher in theforest soils. While soil properties in the forest were fairly similar across topographic gradients, low‐lyingpositions under agricultural regions had higher bulk density and organic matter content than upslopepositions, suggesting significant movement of material along topographic gradients. Differences in soilproperties are attributed largely to increased compaction and loss of organic matter inputs in theagricultural system. Our results suggest that the conversion of forested land cover to agriculture landcover reduces soil quality and carbon storage, alters long‐term site productivity, and contributes toincreased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 1229-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlye D. Peterson ◽  
Lorraine E. Lisiecki

Abstract. We present a compilation of 127 time series δ13C records from Cibicides wuellerstorfi spanning the last deglaciation (20–6 ka) which is well-suited for reconstructing large-scale carbon cycle changes, especially for comparison with isotope-enabled carbon cycle models. The age models for the δ13C records are derived from regional planktic radiocarbon compilations (Stern and Lisiecki, 2014). The δ13C records were stacked in nine different regions and then combined using volume-weighted averages to create intermediate, deep, and global δ13C stacks. These benthic δ13C stacks are used to reconstruct changes in the size of the terrestrial biosphere and deep ocean carbon storage. The timing of change in global mean δ13C is interpreted to indicate terrestrial biosphere expansion from 19–6 ka. The δ13C gradient between the intermediate and deep ocean, which we interpret as a proxy for deep ocean carbon storage, matches the pattern of atmospheric CO2 change observed in ice core records. The presence of signals associated with the terrestrial biosphere and atmospheric CO2 indicates that the compiled δ13C records have sufficient spatial coverage and time resolution to accurately reconstruct large-scale carbon cycle changes during the glacial termination.


BIOSCIENTIAE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Siam Melina ◽  
Krisdianto Krisdianto

South Kalimantan is one of carbon contributor with an area of swamp with ± 1,140,207 ha area of swamp land. The potential area for changed to be an agricultural land is ± 763,207 ha, and the remain used for pool when the rainy season is come. The highest C reserve is in biomass (mass of living-plant part) and necromass (mass of dead-plant part) at the top soil, microbe, and soil-organic matter. Based on description above, the problem is how much stored-carbon in necromass of plant at martapura lowland swamp, because the largest carbon storage found in necromass of plant. The purpose of this study was to estimate the stored carbon contained in necromass of vegetation in lowland swamp. This research has been done in Martapura from April to July 2009. Sampling is done at 4 location include Tungkaran village, Keramat Baru village, Sungai Rangas village and Sungai Tabuk village. Each sampling location divided into 2 stations in one sampling. Analysis of stored-carbon in necromass of plant is using Walkey and Black Method. The result showed that average ranges of carbon stored in plant necromass are 490,95 – 1744,66 gm-2.  


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 6579-6599
Author(s):  
S. V. Smith ◽  
J.-P. Gattuso

Abstract. Geochemical theory describes long term cycling of atmospheric CO2 between the atmosphere and rocks at the Earth surface in terms of rock weathering and precipitation of sedimentary minerals. Chemical weathering of silicate rocks takes up atmospheric CO2, releases cations and HCO3− to water, and precipitates SiO2, while CaCO3 precipitation consumes Ca2+ and HCO3− and releases one mole of CO2 to the atmosphere for each mole of CaCO3 precipitated. At steady state, according to this theory, the CO2 uptake and release should equal one another. In contradiction to this theory, carbonate precipitation in the present surface ocean releases only about 0.6 mol of CO2 per mole of carbonate precipitated. This is a result of the buffer effect described by Ψ, the molar ratio of net CO2 gas evasion to net CaCO3 precipitation from seawater in pCO2 equilibrium with the atmosphere. This asymmetry in CO2 flux between weathering and precipitation would quickly exhaust atmospheric CO2, posing a conundrum in the classical weathering and precipitation cycle. While often treated as a constant, Ψ actually varies as a function of salinity, pCO2, and temperature. Introduction of organic C reactions into the weathering-precipitation couplet largely reconciles the relationship. ψ in the North Pacific Ocean central gyre rises from 0.6 to 0.9, as a consequence of organic matter oxidation in the water column. ψ records the combined effect of CaCO3 and organic reactions and storage of dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean, as well as CO2 gas exchange between the ocean and atmosphere. Further, in the absence of CaCO3 reactions, Ψ would rise to 1.0. Similarly, increasing atmospheric pCO2 over time, which leads to ocean acidification, alters the relationship between organic and inorganic C reactions and carbon storage in the ocean. Thus, the carbon reactions and ψ can cause large variations in oceanic carbon storage with little exchange with the atmosphere.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Ödalen ◽  
Jonas Nycander ◽  
Kevin I. C. Oliver ◽  
Laurent Brodeau ◽  
Andy Ridgwell

Abstract. During the four most recent glacial cycles, atmospheric CO2 during glacial maxima has been lowered by about 90–100 ppm with respect to interglacials. There is widespread consensus that most of this carbon was partitioned in the ocean. It is however still debated which processes were dominant in achieving this increased carbon storage. In this paper, we use an Earth system model of intermediate complexity to constrain the range in ocean carbon storage for an ensemble of ocean circulation equilibrium states. We do a set of simulations where we run the model to pre-industrial equilibrium, but where we achieve different ocean circulation by changing forcing parameters such as wind stress, ocean diffusivity and atmospheric heat diffusivity. As a consequence, the ensemble members also have different ocean carbon reservoirs, global ocean average temperatures, biological pump efficiencies and conditions for air-sea CO2 disequilibrium. We analyse changes in total ocean carbon storage and separate it into contributions by the solubility pump, the biological pump and the CO2 disequilibrium component. We also relate these contributions to differences in strength of ocean overturning circulation. In cases with weaker circulation, we see that the ocean's capacity for carbon storage is larger. Depending on which ocean forcing parameter that is tuned, the origin of the change in carbon storage is different. When wind stress or ocean vertical diffusivity is changed, the response of the biological pump gives the most important effect on ocean carbon storage, whereas when atmospheric heat diffusivity or ocean horizontal diffusivity is changed, the solubility pump and the disequilibrium component are also important and sometimes dominant. Finally, we do a drawdown experiment, where we investigate the capacity for increased carbon storage by maximising the efficiency of the biological pump in our ensemble members. We conclude that different initial states for an ocean model result in different capacities for ocean carbon storage, due to differences in the ocean circulation state. This could explain why it is difficult to achieve comparable responses of the ocean carbon pumps in model intercomparison studies, where the initial states vary between models. The drawdown experiment highlights the importance of the strength of the biological pump in the control state for model studies of increased biological efficiency.


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