Abstract
Atmospheric C (TAC) is continuously transported by rivers at the continents’ surface as soil dissolved and particulate organic C (DOC, POC) and dissolved inorganic C (DIC) used in rock weathering reactions. Global typology of the C export rates (g.m-2.yr-1) for 14 river classes from tundra rivers to monsoon rivers is used to calculate global TAC flux to oceans estimated to 542 Tg.yr-1, of which 37% is as DOC, 18% as soil POC and 45% as DIC. TAC originates mostly from humid tropics (46%) and temperate forest and grassland (31%), compared to boreal forest (14%), savannah and sub-arid regions (5%), and tundra (4%). Rivers also carry to oceans 80 Tg.yr-1 of POC and 137 TG.yr-1 of DIC originating from rock erosion. Permanent TAC storage on land is estimated to 52 Tg.yr-1 in lakes and 17 Tg.yr-1 in internal regions of the continents.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alekin, O.A. and Brazhnikova, L.V.: 1960, Contribution to the Knowledge of Dissolved Matter Runoff at the Earth Surface (in Russian), Gidrochim. Mater., 32, pp. 12–34.
Balais, D.: 1977, The Geographical Distribution of Karst Area, Proc. 7th Int. Congress Speleology, Sheffield, pp. 13–15.
Baumgartner, A. and Reichel, E.: 1976, The World Water Balance, Elsevier, 179 pp.
Brinson, M.M.: 1976, Limnol. Oceano., 22 pp. 572–582.
Cadée, G.C.: 1984, Neth. T. Sea Res., 17 pp. 426–440.
Clarke, F.W.: 1924, Data of Geochemistry, Vth Edition, US Geol. Survey Bull., 770 841 pp.
Davies, B.R.: 1986, The Zambezi River, in: Davies B.R. and Walker K.F. (eds), The Ecology of River Systems,pp. 225–267.
Degens, E.T., Kempe, S. and Richey, J.E. (eds): 1991A, Biogeochemistry of Major World Rivers, John Wiley and Sons, 356 pp.
Degens, E.T., Kempe, S. and Richey J.E.: 1991B, Summary: Biogeochemistry of Major World Rivers, in: Degens E.T., Kempe S. and Richey J.E. (eds), Biogeochemistry of Major World Rivers, John Wiley and Sons, pp. 323–347.
Dessery, S., Dulac, C., Laurenceau, J.M. and Meybeck, M.: 1984, Archiv. Hydrobiol., 100, pp. 235–260.
Downing, J.P. et al: 1993, this volume.
Feng, Jian-Xiang and Kempe, S.: 1987, Mitt. Geol. Paläont. Inst. Univ. Hamburg, 64, pp. 161–170.
Ertel, J.R., Hedges, J.I., Devol, A.H., Richey, J.E. and Ribeiro, N.: 1986, Limnol. Oceanogr.,31 pp. 739–754.
Hedges, J.I., Clark, W.A., Quay, P.D., Richey, J.E., Devol, A.H. and Santos, U. de M.: 1986, Limnol. Oceano, 31 pp. 717–738.
Holland, H.D.: 1978, The Chemistry of the Atmosphere and Oceans, WileyInterscience, 351 pp.
Ittekkot, V.: 1988, Nature, 332 pp. 436–438.
Ittekkot, V. and Arain, R.: 1986, Geochim Cosmochim. Acta, 50 pp. 1643–1656.
Kempe, S.: 1984, J. Geophys. Res., 89 pp. 4657–4676.
Kempe, S.: 1985, Mitt. Geol. Paläont. Inst. Univ. Hamburg, 52 pp. 91–332.
Kempe, S.: 1988, Freshwater Carbon and the Weathering Cycling, in: Lerman A. and Meybeck M. (eds), Physical and Chemical Weathering in Geochemical Cycles, Kluwer Acad. Publ., pp. 197–224.
Kempe, S., Pettine, M. and Cauwet, G. 1991, Biogeochemistry of European Rivers, in Degens E.T., Kempe S. and Richey J.E. (eds), Biogeochemistry of World Rivers, John Wiley and Sons, pp. 169–212.
Kortelainen, P. and Mannio, J.: 1988, Water,Air and Soil Poll., 42 pp. 341–352.
Lesack, L.F.W., Hecky, R.e. and Melack, J.H.: 1984, Limnol. Ocean, 29 pp. 816–830.
Lewis, W.M. and Saunders, J.F.: 1989, Biogeochemistry, 7, pp. 203–240.
Livingstone, D.A.: 1963, Chemical Composition of Rivers and Lakes, in Data of Geochemistry, US Geol. Survey Prof Paper, 440 G 64 pp.
Malcolm, R.L. and Dumm, W.H.: 1976, Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Concentration and Annual Organic Carbon Load in Six Selected Rivers of the USA, US GeoL Survey Water Supply Paper, 1817 21 pp.
Martins, O. and Probst, J.L.: 1991, Biogeochemistry of Major African Rivers: Carbon and Mineral Transport, in Degens E.T., Kempe S. and Richey J.E. (eds), Biogeochemistry of Major World Rivers, John Wiley and Sons, pp. 127–155.
Meybeck, M.: 1979, Rev. Géographie Physique Géologie Dynamique, 21 pp. 215–246.
Meybeck, M.: 1981, River Transport of Organic Carbon to the Ocean, in Flux of Organic Carbon by Rivers to the Ocean, CONE 8009140, US, Dept. of Energy, Office Energy Res., Washington DC, pp. 219–269.
Meybeck, M.: 1982, Amer. J. Sci., 282 pp. 401–450.
Meybeck, M.: 1987, Amer. J. Sci., 287 pp. 401–428.
Meybeck, M.: 1988, How to Establish and Use World Budgets of River Material, in Lerman A. and Meybeck M. (eds), Physical and Chemical Weathering in Geochemical Cycles, Kluwer Acad. Publ., pp. 247–272.
Meybeck, M.: 1993, C, N, P and S in Rivers: from Sources to Global Inputs, in Wollast R., Mackenzie F.T. and Chou L. (eds), Interaction of C, N, P and S Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change, Springer-Verlag, pp. 163–193.
Milliman, J.D. and Meade, R.H.: 1983, J. GeoL, 91 pp. 1–21.
Milliman, J.D., Quinchun, X. and Zuosheng, Y.: 1984, Am. J. Sci., 284 pp. 824–834.
Moore, T.R.: 1987, Int. Ass. Hydrol. Sci. PubL, 167 pp. 481–487.
Mulholland, P.J. and Elwood, J.W.: 1982, Tellus, 34, pp. 490–499.
Mulholland, P.J., Dahm, C.N., David, M.B., Ditoro, D.M., Fisher, T.R., Hemond, H.F., Kögel-Knabner, I., Meybeck, M., Meyer, J.L. and Sedell J.R. 1990, What are the Temporal and Spatial Variations of the Organic Acids at the Ecosystem Level ?, in: Perdue M. and Gjessiky E.T. (eds), Organic Acids in Aquatic Ecosystems, Dahlem Workshop Rpt, John Wiley, pp. 315–329.
Naiman, R.J., Melillo, J.M., Lock, M.A., Ford, T.E. and Reice S.R.: 1987, Ecology, 68, pp. 1139–1156.
Pardé, M.: 1953, Revue Géographie Alpine, 41, pp. 399–421.
Ronov, A.B.: 1976, Geochem. Int., 13, pp. 172–195.
Schlesinger, W.H. and Melack, J.M.: 1981, Tellus, 33, pp. 172–187.
Soviet Physical Geography Atlas of the World: 1964, Nauka, Moscow.
Spitzy, A. and Leenheer, J.: 1991, Dissolved Organic Carbon in Rivers, in Degens E.T., Kempe S. and Richey J.E. (eds), Biogeochemistry of World Major Rivers, John Wiley and Sons, pp. 213–232.
Stallard, R.F. and Edmond, J.M.: 1983, J. Geoph. Res., 88, pp. 9671–9688.
Wollast, R. and Mackenzie, F.T.: 1983, The Global Cycle of Silica, in: Aston S. (ed), Silicon Geochemistry and Biogeochemistry,Academic Press London, pp. 3976.
Zhang, S., Gan, W.B. and Ittekkot, V.: 1992, Mar. Chem., 38, pp. 53–68.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Meybeck, M. (1993). Riverine Transport of Atmospheric Carbon: Sources, Global Typology and Budget. In: Wisniewski, J., Sampson, R.N. (eds) Terrestrial Biospheric Carbon Fluxes Quantification of Sinks and Sources of CO2 . Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1982-5_31
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1982-5_31
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4875-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1982-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive