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Riverine Transport of Atmospheric Carbon: Sources, Global Typology and Budget

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Terrestrial Biospheric Carbon Fluxes Quantification of Sinks and Sources of CO2

Abstract

Atmospheric C (TAC) is continuously transported by rivers at the continents’ surface as soil dissolved and particulate organic C (DOC, POC) and dissolved inorganic C (DIC) used in rock weathering reactions. Global typology of the C export rates (g.m-2.yr-1) for 14 river classes from tundra rivers to monsoon rivers is used to calculate global TAC flux to oceans estimated to 542 Tg.yr-1, of which 37% is as DOC, 18% as soil POC and 45% as DIC. TAC originates mostly from humid tropics (46%) and temperate forest and grassland (31%), compared to boreal forest (14%), savannah and sub-arid regions (5%), and tundra (4%). Rivers also carry to oceans 80 Tg.yr-1 of POC and 137 TG.yr-1 of DIC originating from rock erosion. Permanent TAC storage on land is estimated to 52 Tg.yr-1 in lakes and 17 Tg.yr-1 in internal regions of the continents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Géologie Appliquée, C.N.R.S., 75257, Place Jussieu, Paris Cedex 05, France

    Michel Meybeck

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  1. Michel Meybeck
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  1. Wisniewski & Associates, Inc., 6862 McLean Province Circle, Falls Church, VA, 22043, USA

    Joe Wisniewski

  2. American Forests, 1516 P Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20005, USA

    R. Neil Sampson

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Meybeck, M. (1993). Riverine Transport of Atmospheric Carbon: Sources, Global Typology and Budget. In: Wisniewski, J., Sampson, R.N. (eds) Terrestrial Biospheric Carbon Fluxes Quantification of Sinks and Sources of CO2 . Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1982-5_31

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1982-5_31

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4875-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1982-5

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