EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Willey et al. 2000
Willey, J.D., Kieber, R.J., Eyman, M.S. and Avery, G.B. (2000). Rainwater dissolved organic carbon: Concentrations and global flux. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 14: doi: 10.1029/1999GB900036. issn: 0886-6236.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a major component of both marine (23 &mgr;M) and continental (161 &mgr;M) rain, present in concentrations greater than nitric and sulfuric acids combined. Rain is a significant source of DOC to surface seawater (90¿1012gCyr-1), equivalent to the magnitude of river input of DOC to the open ocean and half the magnitude of carbon buried in marine sediments per year on a global scale. Current models of global carbon cycling focus primarily on inorganic forms of carbon and are unable to account for approximately 20% of the global carbon dioxide, suggesting a significant missing carbon sink. Quantification of the average DOC concentration in marine rain allows calculation of the global rainwater flux of DOC of 430¿150¿1012gCyr-1. When inorganic carbon is included, this rainwater carbon flux becomes 510¿170¿1012gCyr-1, which, although not the same carbon, is equivalent in magnitude to over one third of the missing carbon sink. ¿ 2000 American Geophysical Union

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Air/sea constituent fluxes, Hydrology, Precipitation, Oceanography, Biological and Chemical, Carbon cycling
Journal
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
http://www.agu.org/journals/gb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit