Abundance and Isotopic Ratio of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Oceanic Carbon in Relation to the Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change

University Of California-San Diego Scripps Inst Of Oceanography, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will extend a long-term program to measure trends of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in seawater, and their 13C/12C isotopic ratios. These measurements, that date back several decades, will be used along with other climatic data, such as satellite-borne radiometric data of greenness of land vegetation, to estimate net exchanges of CO2 between the oceans, the atmosphere, and the terrestrial biosphere. This research is relevant to understanding the impacts of climate and human activities on the global carbon cycle. Data collected as part of this project will become part of the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) data archive.