Closing in on Missing Carbon Sink - ScienceDaily

[Mk]

"Closing in on Missing Carbon Sink" - ScienceDaily

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070621140805.htm

Measurements show that about 40% of the carbon dioxide emitted through fossil fuels and deforestation remains in the atmosphere, while an estimated 30% is absorbed by trees and other plants and another 30% by the oceans. Computer models have indicated that forests in the mid and upper latitudes absorb a high amount of carbon dioxide, while tropical forests emit the gas because of deforestation. But a new study led by NCAR's Britton Stephens shows that the two regions are more balanced than previously thought, with intact tropical forests playing a major role in absorbing carbon dioxide.

This article talks about forests and how much carbon dioxide they absorb per year.

of the computer models produced incorrect estimates because, in relying on ground-level measurements, they failed to accurately simulate the movement of carbon dioxide vertically in the atmosphere. The models tended to move too much carbon dioxide toward ground level in the summer, when growing trees and other plants take in the gas, and not enough carbon dioxide up in the winter. As a result, scientists believed that there was relatively less carbon in the air above mid-latitude and upper-latitude forests, presumably because trees and other plants were absorbing high amounts.

This reminds me of how almost all data I've seen is based on collecting air samples from ground level. That's interesting.

Later on in the article it describes how this team used data from mid-altitude air samples, and worked with that.

 

[Evo]

Interesting article MK, thanks.

 

[Skyhunter]

Thanks for the link MK.

I once mentioned to Andre, when discussing the CO2 cycle and pre-Keeling measurements, that more the missing CO2 sinks of today were more of a concern than whether or not 19th and early 20th century CO2 measurements were accurate.