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Soils: A global sink of atmospheric carbon tetrachloride
Author(s) -
Happell James D.,
Roche Mary P.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2002gl015957
Subject(s) - soil water , sink (geography) , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , atmosphere (unit) , carbon sink , biome , flux (metallurgy) , environmental chemistry , carbon tetrachloride , carbon dioxide , soil science , geology , chemistry , meteorology , ecosystem , climate change , oceanography , ecology , geography , cartography , organic chemistry , biology
Analysis of soil gas from the world's major biomes indicates that carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) uptake by soils is a ubiquitous process. The global flux of CCl 4 from the atmosphere to soils was estimated to be 27 ± 21 kilotons per year (Kt yr −1 ), corresponding to a partial atmospheric lifetime of 90 years (yr). The total lifetime of CCl 4 in the atmosphere, taking into account the stratospheric, oceanic and soil sinks is estimated to be 20 yr. The recently identified oceanic and soil sinks of atmospheric CCl 4 suggest that current emission estimates of CCl 4 may be underestimated by ∼60%.