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Wang et al. 2002
Wang, J.S., McElroy, M.B., Spivakovsky, C.M. and Jones, D.B.A. (2002). On the contribution of anthropogenic Cl to the increase in d13C of atmospheric methane. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 16: doi: 10.1029/2001GB001572. issn: 0886-6236.

A two-dimensional model is used to evaluate the impact of stratospheric chlorine on δ13C of CH4 at the surface and to analyze sensitivity to different chemical and transport processes. It is found that the impact of Cl depends on the relative strength of the lower and upper branches of the stratospheric circulation, which emphasize regions of differing rates of methane fractionation. It is estimated that the increase in concentrations of Cl associated with human activity has contributed at most 0.54? to the 2? increase of δ13C observed over the past century. It follows that growth in the relative importance of heavier sources of CH4 (associated, for example, with fossil fuels and biomass burning) has been largely responsible for the trend.

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Abstract

Keywords
Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Middle atmosphere--constituent transport and chemistry, Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Troposphere--composition and chemistry, Geochemistry, Isotopic composition/chemistry, Global Change, Atmosphere (0315, 0325)
Journal
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
http://www.agu.org/journals/gb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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