Work

An end to the “rain ratio” reign?

Year: 2003

Type: article

Abstract: One of the most elegant mechanisms forwarded for late Quaternary atmospheric CO2 variability concerns the sensitivity of calcium carbonate preservation in deep ocean sediments to the relative delivery rates of calcium carbonate and particulate organic carbon (the CaCO3:POC “rain ratio”). It was implicitly assumed that any change in the CaCO3:POC rain ratio of biogenic material produced in the surface ocean will be communicated directly to the sediments. This would allow relatively subtle shifts in ecosystem composition to affect sedimentary CaCO3 preservation (and thus atmospheric CO2). However, recent research into the controls on the transport of POC to depth suggests that the rain ratio “seen” by the sediments may instead be buffered against any perturbation occurring at the surface. This casts doubt on the viability of hypotheses envisaging ecological changes as a means of accounting for the observed glacial‐interglacial CO2 signal.

Source: Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems

DOI: 10.1029/2003gc000512

Author: Andy J. Ridgwell

Institutions: University of California, Riverside, University of East Anglia

Language: English

Topic: Geology and Paleoclimatology Research

Subfield: Atmospheric Science

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: University of East Anglia