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On the net transfer of carbon dioxide from liquid precipitation to the atmosphere
Author(s) -
Sequeira R.
Publication year - 1988
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/gl015i003p00273
Subject(s) - carbon dioxide , northern hemisphere , calcium carbonate , carbonate , atmosphere (unit) , carbon dioxide in earth's atmosphere , precipitation , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , temperate climate , carbonate minerals , aerosol , carbonic acid , calcite , environmental chemistry , geology , mineralogy , chemistry , meteorology , ecology , organic chemistry , biology , physics
Most of the water‐soluble carbonate and non‐marine calcium (Ca*) in background aerosol in the northern hemisphere could originate as calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) of arid soil origin. This is most relevant to the tropics, and a good portion of the temperate latitude belt. However, at equilibrium pH‐values between about 6 and 7, the dissolved carbonate is primarily present as the bicarbonate (HCO 3 − ). Selecting a random set of precipitation samples in the same pH‐range, the HCO 3 − /Ca* stoichiometric ratio values were evaluated for a number of background locations in the northern hemisphere. The representative range observed is ∼ 0.04‐0.5. Assuming that acid‐base neutralization reactions are ubiquitous, the above range of ratio values suggests that aqueous precipitation at the surface ‐ or possibly some raindrops aloft ‐ in background locations affected by arid aerosol could act as a net source of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to the atmosphere, and not vice versa, as has been universally assumed or implied in the past.