Carbon cycle implications of terrestrial weathering changes since the last glacial maximum
We examine the importance of the rock weathering feedback mechanism during the last deglacial period (∼16 000–4000 BCE) using an Earth system model of intermediate complexity (the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM)) with four box-model parameterizations of terrestrial weat...
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/facets-2016-0040 2023-12-17T10:31:40+01:00 Carbon cycle implications of terrestrial weathering changes since the last glacial maximum Brault, M.-O. Mysak, L.A. Matthews, H.D. Al, Tom A. 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/facets-2016-0040 http://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/facets-2016-0040 en eng Canadian Science Publishing FACETS volume 2, issue 1, page 267-285 ISSN 2371-1671 Multidisciplinary journal-article 2017 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2016-0040 2023-11-19T13:38:53Z We examine the importance of the rock weathering feedback mechanism during the last deglacial period (∼16 000–4000 BCE) using an Earth system model of intermediate complexity (the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM)) with four box-model parameterizations of terrestrial weathering. The deglacial climate change is driven by changes in orbital parameters, ice core reconstructions of atmospheric CO 2 variability, and prescribed removal of continental ice sheets. Over the course of the 12 000 year simulation period, increases in weathering provide a mechanism that slowly removes CO 2 from the atmosphere, in opposition to the observed atmospheric CO 2 increase during this period. These processes transfer both carbon and alkalinity to the ocean, the combination of which results in as much as a 1000 Pg C increase in total ocean carbon, relative to a control simulation with constant weathering. However, the rapid expansion of northern hemisphere vegetation introduces a significant uncertainty among the weathering parameterizations. Further experiments to test the individual impacts of weathering dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity fluxes on ocean biogeochemistry suggest that the worldwide distribution of rock types and the ratio of carbonate to silicate weathering may be crucially important in obtaining an accurate estimate of changes in global weathering rates. Article in Journal/Newspaper ice core Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) FACETS 2 1 267 285 |
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Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Multidisciplinary |
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Multidisciplinary Brault, M.-O. Mysak, L.A. Matthews, H.D. Carbon cycle implications of terrestrial weathering changes since the last glacial maximum |
topic_facet |
Multidisciplinary |
description |
We examine the importance of the rock weathering feedback mechanism during the last deglacial period (∼16 000–4000 BCE) using an Earth system model of intermediate complexity (the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM)) with four box-model parameterizations of terrestrial weathering. The deglacial climate change is driven by changes in orbital parameters, ice core reconstructions of atmospheric CO 2 variability, and prescribed removal of continental ice sheets. Over the course of the 12 000 year simulation period, increases in weathering provide a mechanism that slowly removes CO 2 from the atmosphere, in opposition to the observed atmospheric CO 2 increase during this period. These processes transfer both carbon and alkalinity to the ocean, the combination of which results in as much as a 1000 Pg C increase in total ocean carbon, relative to a control simulation with constant weathering. However, the rapid expansion of northern hemisphere vegetation introduces a significant uncertainty among the weathering parameterizations. Further experiments to test the individual impacts of weathering dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity fluxes on ocean biogeochemistry suggest that the worldwide distribution of rock types and the ratio of carbonate to silicate weathering may be crucially important in obtaining an accurate estimate of changes in global weathering rates. |
author2 |
Al, Tom A. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Brault, M.-O. Mysak, L.A. Matthews, H.D. |
author_facet |
Brault, M.-O. Mysak, L.A. Matthews, H.D. |
author_sort |
Brault, M.-O. |
title |
Carbon cycle implications of terrestrial weathering changes since the last glacial maximum |
title_short |
Carbon cycle implications of terrestrial weathering changes since the last glacial maximum |
title_full |
Carbon cycle implications of terrestrial weathering changes since the last glacial maximum |
title_fullStr |
Carbon cycle implications of terrestrial weathering changes since the last glacial maximum |
title_full_unstemmed |
Carbon cycle implications of terrestrial weathering changes since the last glacial maximum |
title_sort |
carbon cycle implications of terrestrial weathering changes since the last glacial maximum |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/facets-2016-0040 http://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/facets-2016-0040 |
genre |
ice core |
genre_facet |
ice core |
op_source |
FACETS volume 2, issue 1, page 267-285 ISSN 2371-1671 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2016-0040 |
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FACETS |
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2 |
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1 |
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267 |
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285 |
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1785585034660413440 |