The Carbon Cycle – Atmospheric
Focus
Patrick Loury
Neil Swanson
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle/page1.php
Carbon Fluxes and Residence Times
Influx of atmospheric carbon is greater Residence Times:
than the outflux:
• Carbon Dioxide: Variable, but on the order
• Non-steady state conditions
of hundreds of years
• The atmosphere is growing as a
• Methane: 10.5 ± 1.8 years
carbon reservoir
http://www.epa.gov/outreach/scientific.html
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle/page5.php