Biogeochemical Sinks Essay ⋆ Environment Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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Biogeochemical sinks are geographical locations that hold in position certain chemicals, specifically gases, for extended periods of time. Sinks are particularly important in capturing greenhouses gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and removing them from the atmosphere. Research is conducted to determine a sink’s method of operation and, ultimately, how sinks may be manipulated or even created.

Gases within the earth’s atmosphere are constantly in motion. The global atmosphere is in a state of dynamic equilibrium, in which constant change within the system is balanced by overall stability of the component parts. The sources and sinks of greenhouse gases remain in equilibrium in the atmosphere. Should one increase or decease, then the equilibrium changes until a new balance can be restored. The burning of fossil fuels and other industrial and commercial activities have caused greenhouse gases to increase in quantity and proportion in the atmosphere and have exceeded the ability of existing sinks to contain them. Consequently, the atmosphere is proceeding through a process of turbulence or disequilibria, which is quite different from any in recorded history.

The sinks for carbon dioxide (CO2) include the surfaces of the oceans and natural vegetation. The oceans sequester approximately 92Gt (gigatons) of carbon from the atmosphere annually, and forests remove 61Gt of carbon annually through photosynthesis. The destruction of rain forests through over logging has significantly degraded the ability of remaining vegetation to accept carbon. Increased use of fertilizers has promoted vegetation growth in some parts of the world, but this has been insufficient to replace what has been cut down. The principal methane sink is provided by the chemical reaction with hydroxyl radicals (OH), which takes place in the troposphere. It is estimated that this process removes some 445MT (megatons) of methane from the atmosphere annually. However, this process is compromised by the concurrent reaction with carbon monoxide and from gases emitted by automobiles. The more that cars and other vehicles are used, the less methane is absorbed in the atmospheric sink.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) also has an atmospheric chemical reaction as a principal form of sink. As in the case of other halocarbon gases released into the atmosphere, the exact nature and quantification of the effects of other forms of sinks has not yet been fully documented. The complexity of interactions within the atmosphere and with the earth mean there is a real need for baseline data to understand the role and significance of sinks. However, the rate of change of such conditions makes it very difficult to obtain that data.

Bibliography:

Christopher Field and Inez Y. Fung, “The Not-So-Big US Carbon Sink,” Science (v.285/5427, 1999);
Andrew White, Melvin G.R. Cannell, and Andrew D. Friend, “CO2 Stabilization, Climate Change and the Terrestrial Carbon Sink,” Global Change Biology (v.6/7, 2000).