Construct a budget for [CO2]atm for the periods: 1980-1989, 2002-2011 and the cu
ID: 120690 • Letter: C
Question
Construct a budget for [CO2]atm for the periods: 1980-1989, 2002-2011 and the cumulative period 1750-2011. What are the major features of this budget? For example, what sources, pools or sinks are growing/shrinking? What data do we have the most confidence in and why? Propose a realistic emission and mitigation policy for atmospheric CO2, based in part on your knowledge of the global budget, whose goal is to limit global average temperature rise 2 degrees C [or less]. You will need to do additional research to answer this question. Use the Paris Climate Accord of 2016 and peer-reviewed papers on the topic.
Explanation / Answer
The growth rate of atmospheric CO2 is not same and hence carbon budget.
1 ppm of CO2=2.12 Gigaton/ Petagram carbon in the atmosphere.
During 1980-89, the CO2 was 291-294 ppm(appx) The accumulation rate during 1980s the amount of CO2 was 3.3 Pg C/yr (Release- fossil fuel=5.4, Deforestation=1.7, Uptake- Ocean= 1.9, land=1.9) The amount of CO2 at the end was 623.28 PgC.
Atmospheric CO2 concentration increased at an average rate of 2.0 ± 0.1 ppm yr–1 during 2002–2011. The amount of CO2 at the end of 2011 was 827.86 PgC.
CO2 increased by 40% from 278 ppm about 1750 to 390.5 ppm in 2011. Anthropogenic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere were 555 ± 85 PgC (1 PgC = 1015 gC) between 1750 and 2011. [ fossil fuel combustion and cement production contribution= 375 ± 30 PgC and land use change (including deforestation, afforestation and reforestation) contribution= 180 ± 80 PgC).
Major Features:
1. In 2002-11 , rate of increase is higher than during any previous decade (since 1957).
2. The growth rate is not same for all the deacde. It is varying year to year also.
3. The cummulative is lower than the decadel one.
Apart from natural sources, fossil fuel and cement production are the main source of CO2 in the atmosphre and it changes drastically and is growing day by day .The main sinks for CO2 are ocean,land abd biospheric sinks. Due to huge amount of CO2 injection in the atmosphere, sinking is also increasing, while on the other hand, due to deforestation biospheric sink is getting cut down day by day. Apart form that CO2 is also consumed by silicate rocks during weathering.
The data from fossil fuel burning and those arising from land use change are the dominant cause of the observed increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration and recorded at high confidence level. The high level of confidence is just because of the direct measurement at Mona Loa since 1957/58. The site is free from any local interventions.
To maintain the global avg. temp. 2 degress, an integrated approach should apply. First we need to understand the source and sink very carefully. The main souce of tension is anthropogeic emission. We should definitely cut down the anthropogenic emission. We should move towards the green technology. we need to concentrate more on carbon sequestration. Transfer of energy sector from nonrenewal to renewal.