Original Research Papers
Transport of organic carbon in the world’s rivers
Authors:
- William H. SchlesingerEmail William H. Schlesinger
- John M. Melack
Abstract
Total transport of organic carbon to the world’s oceans in dissolved and particulate form in rivers is estimated as 0.37 × 1015 gC yr-1 by an inventory and extrapolation of data on loss of carbon per unit volume of river discharge from twelve intermediate and large rivers. An alternative estimate of 0.41 × 1015 gC yr-1 is derived from measurements of the fluvial loss of organic carbon per unit area of land in various ecosystem types. Rates of loss range from 1 gC m-2 yr-1 in grassland systems to 10 gC m-2 yr-1 in some forests. Organic carbon transport in rivers is a small flux in the global carbon cycle, but our present understanding is limited by inadequate sampling and few data from major world rivers.
- Year: 1981
- Volume: 33 Issue: 2
- Page/Article: 172-187
- DOI: 10.3402/tellusa.v33i2.10706
- Submitted on 2 Jul 1980
- Accepted on 21 Oct 1980
- Published on 1 Jan 1981
- Peer Reviewed