Abstract
The CO2 content of the atmosphere has increased during the past two centuries as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels for energy1 and the reduction of forest and soil carbon reservoirs on land2. The amount of CO2 added to the atmosphere from fossil-fuel burning is known from historical records1 (±10%), but the contribution from reduction of the terrestrial biosphere is far less certain. Several authors have estimated the relative contributions from the two sources by measuring the change in the 13C/12C ratio in atmospheric CO2 as revealed in tree rings3–8 (CO2 derived from these two sources is depleted in 13C with respect to that in the atmosphere). Using trees in the Northern Hemisphere, recent estimates of the integrated CO2 release from the terrestrial biosphere since AD 1800 ranged from 70% (ref. 5) to 90% (ref. 9) of that released from fossil fuels. Here we present surface ocean δ13C and δ18O records measured in the skeleton of a living sclerosponge (Ceratoporella nicholsoni), which accretes aragonite in isotopic equilibrium with the surrounding sea water/dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) system. The δ13C record reveals a decrease of 0.50‰ from 1820 to 1972. Using a model of the world carbon cycle and a deconvolution of our δ13C data, we estimate that the amount of excess CO2 derived from the terrestrial biosphere is ∼38% of that from fossil-fuel sources. Our model calculations support a preindustrial CO2 concentration in the atmosphere of 280 p.p.m.v. (parts per million by volume), in agreement with direct measurements of air occluded in Antarctic ice cores10.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Keeling, C. D. Tellus 25, 174–198 (1973).
Houghton, R. A. et al. Ecol. Monogr. 53, 235–262 (1983).
Rebello, A. & Wagener, K. Environmental Biogeochemistry (ed. Nriagu, J. O.) 13–23 (Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, 1976).
Pearman, G. J., Francey, R. J. & Fraser, P. J. B. Nature 260, 771–773 (1976).
Stuiver, M., Burk, R. L. & Quay, P. D. J. Geophys. Res. 89, (D7), 11731–11748 (1984).
Harkness, D. D. & Miller, B. F. Radiocarbon 22, 291–298 (1980).
Francey, R. J. Nature 290, 232–235 (1981).
Freyer, H. D. Proc. 6th ORNL Life Sci. Symp., Oak Ridge (eds Trabalka, J. R. & Reichle, D. E.) (Springer, New York, in the press).
Peng, T.-H. Geophys. Monogr. 32, 123–131 (1985).
Neftel, A., Moore, E., Oeschger, H. & Stauffer, B. Nature 315, 45–47 (1985).
Farquhar, G. D., O'Leary, M. H. & Berry, J. A. Aust. J. Pl. Physiol. 9, 121–137 (1982).
Francey, R. J. & Farquhar, G. D. Nature 297, 28–31 (1982).
Nozaki, Y., Rye, D. M., Turekian, K. K. & Dodge, R. E. Geophys. Res. Lett. 5, 825–828 (1978).
Chivas, A. R., Aharon, P., Chappell, J., Vlastuin, C. & Kiss, E. Proc. Inaugural Great Barrier Reef Conf., Townsville, 77–81 (J.C.U. Press, Townsville, 1983).
Weber, J. N. Deep Sea Res. 20, 901–910 (1973).
Emiliani, C., Hudson, J. H., Shinn, E. A. & George, R. Y. Science 202, 627–629 (1978).
Land, L. S., Lang, J. C. & Barnes, D. J. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 41, 169–172 (1977).
Hartman, W. D. & Goreau, T. F. Symp. zool. Soc. Lond. 25, 205–243 (1970).
Benavides, L. & Druffel, E. R. M. Coral Reefs (in the press).
Swart, P. K. Earth Sci. Rev. 19, 51–80 (1983).
Weber, J. N. & Woodhead, P. M. J. J. geophys. Res. 77, 463–473 (1972).
Fairbanks, R. G. & Dodge, R. E. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 43, 1009–1020 (1979).
Weil, S. M., Buddemeier, R. W., Smith, S. V. & Kroopnick, P. M. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 45, 1147–1153 (1981).
Dunbar, R. B. & Wellington, G. M. Nature 293, 453–455 (1981).
Druffel, E. R. M. Geophys. Monogr. 32, 111–122 (1985).
Kroopnick, P. Deep Sea Res. 32, 57–84 (1985).
Epstein, S., Buchsbaum, R., Lowenstam, H. A. & Urey, H. C. Bull. geol. Soc. Am. 64, 1315–1326 (1953).
Rubinson, M. & Clayton, R. N. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 33, 997–1002 (1969).
Tarutani, T., Clayton, R. N. & Mayeda, T. K. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 33, 987–996 (1969).
Emanuel, W. R., Killough, G. G., Post, W. M., Shugart, H. H. & Stevenson, M. P. Dep. Envir. Docum. No. DOE/NBB-0062, UC-11, 79 (1984).
Oeschger, H., Siegenthaler, U., Schotterer, U. & Gugelmann, A. Tellus 27, 168–192 (1975).
Keeling, C. D., Bacastow, R. B. & Whorf, T. P. Carbon Dioxide Review: 1982 (ed. Clark, W. C.) 377–385 (Oxford University Press, 1982).
Rotty, R. M. Carbon Cycle Modelling, SCOPE 16 (ed. Bolin, B.) 121–123 (Wiley, New York, 1981).
Keeling, C. D., Mook, W. G. & Tans, P. P. Nature 277, 121–123 (1979).
Siegenthaler, U. & Oeschger, H. Tellus (in the press).
Peng, T.-H. & Freyer, H. D. Proc. 6th ORNL Life Sci. Symp. Oak Ridge (eds Trabalka, J. R. & Reichle, D. E.) (Springer, New York, in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Druffel, E., Benavides, L. Input of excess CO2 to the surface ocean based on 13C/12C ratios in a banded Jamaican sclerosponge. Nature 321, 58–61 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/321058a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/321058a0
This article is cited by
-
Iberian hydroclimate variability and the Azores High during the last 1200 years: evidence from proxy records and climate model simulations
Climate Dynamics (2023)
-
Spatio-temporal variation in stable isotope and elemental composition of key-species reflect environmental changes in the Baltic Sea
Biogeochemistry (2022)
-
Reconstruction of ocean environment time series since the late nineteenth century using sclerosponge geochemistry in the northwestern subtropical Pacific
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science (2021)
-
Evaluation of geochemical records as a paleoenvironmental proxy in the hypercalcified demosponge Astrosclera willeyana
Progress in Earth and Planetary Science (2020)
-
Surface ocean pH variations since 1689 CE and recent ocean acidification in the tropical South Pacific
Nature Communications (2018)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.