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Atmospheric O2/N2 changes, 1993-2002: Implications for the partitioning of fossil fuel CO2 sequestration

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bender, ML; Ho, DT; Hendricks, MB; Mika, R; Battle, MO; Tans, PP; Conway, TJ; Sturtevant, B; Cassar, N
Published in: Global Biogeochemical Cycles
December 7, 2005

Improvements made to an established mass spectrometric method for measuring changes in atmospheric O2/N2 are described. With the improvements in sample handling and analysis, sample throughput and analytical precision have both increased. Aliquots from duplicate flasks are repeatedly measured over a period of 2 weeks, with an overall standard error in each flask of 3–4 per meg, corresponding to 0.6–0.8 ppm O2 in air. Records of changes in O2/N2 from six global sampling stations (Barrow, American Samoa, Cape Grim, Amsterdam Island, Macquarie Island, and Syowa Station) are presented. Combined with measurements of CO2 from the same sample flasks, land and ocean carbon uptake were calculated from the three sampling stations with the longest records (Barrow, Samoa, and Cape Grim). From 1994–2002, We find the average CO2 uptake by the ocean and the land biosphere was 1.7 ± 0.5 and 1.0 ± 0.6 GtC yr−1 respectively; these numbers include a correction of 0.3 Gt C yr−1 due to secular outgassing of ocean O2. Interannual variability calculated from these data shows a strong land carbon source associated with the 1997–1998 El Niño event, supporting many previous studies indicating that high atmospheric growth rates observed during most El Niño events reflect diminished land uptake. Calculations of interannual variability in land and ocean uptake are probably confounded by non-zero annual air sea fluxes of O2. The origin of these fluxes is not yet understood.

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Published In

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

DOI

ISSN

0886-6236

Publication Date

December 7, 2005

Volume

19

Issue

4

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
  • 4101 Climate change impacts and adaptation
  • 3704 Geoinformatics
  • 3703 Geochemistry
  • 0405 Oceanography
  • 0402 Geochemistry
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences
 

Citation

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MLA
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Bender, M. L., Ho, D. T., Hendricks, M. B., Mika, R., Battle, M. O., Tans, P. P., … Cassar, N. (2005). Atmospheric O2/N2 changes, 1993-2002: Implications for the partitioning of fossil fuel CO2 sequestration. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 19(4). https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GB002410
Bender, M. L., D. T. Ho, M. B. Hendricks, R. Mika, M. O. Battle, P. P. Tans, T. J. Conway, B. Sturtevant, and N. Cassar. “Atmospheric O2/N2 changes, 1993-2002: Implications for the partitioning of fossil fuel CO2 sequestration.” Global Biogeochemical Cycles 19, no. 4 (December 7, 2005). https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GB002410.
Bender ML, Ho DT, Hendricks MB, Mika R, Battle MO, Tans PP, et al. Atmospheric O2/N2 changes, 1993-2002: Implications for the partitioning of fossil fuel CO2 sequestration. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. 2005 Dec 7;19(4).
Bender, M. L., et al. “Atmospheric O2/N2 changes, 1993-2002: Implications for the partitioning of fossil fuel CO2 sequestration.” Global Biogeochemical Cycles, vol. 19, no. 4, Dec. 2005. Manual, doi:10.1029/2004GB002410.
Bender ML, Ho DT, Hendricks MB, Mika R, Battle MO, Tans PP, Conway TJ, Sturtevant B, Cassar N. Atmospheric O2/N2 changes, 1993-2002: Implications for the partitioning of fossil fuel CO2 sequestration. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. 2005 Dec 7;19(4).
Journal cover image

Published In

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

DOI

ISSN

0886-6236

Publication Date

December 7, 2005

Volume

19

Issue

4

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
  • 4101 Climate change impacts and adaptation
  • 3704 Geoinformatics
  • 3703 Geochemistry
  • 0405 Oceanography
  • 0402 Geochemistry
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences