An analysis of the carbon balance of the Arctic Basin from 1997 to 2006

A. D. McGuire; D.J. Hayes; D. W. Kicklighter; M. Manizza; Q. Zhuang; M. Chen; M.J. Follows; K.R. Gurney; J.W. McClelland; J. M. Melillo; B. J. Peterson; R.G. Prinn

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0889.2010.00497.x

An analysis of the carbon balance of the Arctic Basin from 1997 to 2006

Tellus, Series B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

By: A. D. McGuire, D.J. Hayes, D. W. Kicklighter, M. Manizza, Q. Zhuang, M. Chen, M.J. Follows, K.R. Gurney, J.W. McClelland, J. M. Melillo, B. J. Peterson, and R.G. Prinn

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0889.2010.00497.x

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Abstract

This study used several model-based tools to analyse the dynamics of the Arctic Basin between 1997 and 2006 as a linked system of land-ocean-atmosphere C exchange. The analysis estimates that terrestrial areas of the Arctic Basin lost 62.9 Tg C yr^-1 and that the Arctic Ocean gained 94.1 Tg C yr^-1. Arctic lands and oceans were a net CO₂ sink of 108.9 Tg C yr^-1, which is within the range of uncertainty in estimates from atmospheric inversions. Although both lands and oceans of the Arctic were estimated to be CO₂ sinks, the land sink diminished in strength because of increased fire disturbance compared to previous decades, while the ocean sink increased in strength because of increased biological pump activity associated with reduced sea ice cover. Terrestrial areas of the Arctic were a net source of 41.5 Tg CH₄ yr^-1 that increased by 0.6 Tg CH₄ yr^-1 during the decade of analysis, a magnitude that is comparable with an atmospheric inversion of CH₄. Because the radiative forcing of the estimated CH₄ emissions is much greater than the CO₂ sink, the analysis suggests that the Arctic Basin is a substantial net source of green house gas forcing to the climate system.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	An analysis of the carbon balance of the Arctic Basin from 1997 to 2006
Series title	Tellus, Series B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology
DOI	10.1111/j.1600-0889.2010.00497.x
Volume	62
Issue	5
Year Published	2010
Language	English
Publisher	Munksgaard
Publisher location	Copenhagen
Description	20 p.
Larger Work Type	Article
Larger Work Subtype	Journal Article
Larger Work Title	Tellus, Series B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology
First page	455
Last page	474
Other Geospatial	Arctic Basin
Online Only (Y/N)	N
Additional Online Files (Y/N)	N
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page