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Peak growing season gross uptake of carbon in North America is largest in the Midwest USA

Author

Listed:
  • Timothy W. Hilton

    (Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California)

  • Mary E. Whelan

    (Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California
    Carnegie Institution)

  • Andrew Zumkehr

    (Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California)

  • Sarika Kulkarni

    (Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, University of Iowa
    Present address: California Air Resource Board, Sacramento, California 95812, USA.)

  • Joseph A. Berry

    (Carnegie Institution)

  • Ian T. Baker

    (Colorado State University)

  • Stephen A. Montzka

    (NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory)

  • Colm Sweeney

    (NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory)

  • Benjamin R. Miller

    (NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory)

  • J. Elliott Campbell

    (Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California)

Abstract

Gross primary production (GPP) is a first-order uncertainty in climate predictions. Large-scale CO2 observations can provide information about the carbon cycle, but are not directly useful for GPP. Recently carbonyl sulfide (COS or OCS) has been proposed as a potential tracer for regional and global GPP. Here we present the first regional assessment of GPP using COS. We focus on the North American growing season—a global hotspot for COS air-monitoring and GPP uncertainty. Regional variability in simulated vertical COS concentration gradients was driven by variation in GPP rather than other modelled COS sources and sinks. Consequently we are able to show that growing season GPP in the Midwest USA significantly exceeds that of any other region of North America. These results are inconsistent with some ecosystem models, but are supportive of new ecosystem models from CMIP6. This approach provides valuable insight into the accuracy of various ecosystem land models.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy W. Hilton & Mary E. Whelan & Andrew Zumkehr & Sarika Kulkarni & Joseph A. Berry & Ian T. Baker & Stephen A. Montzka & Colm Sweeney & Benjamin R. Miller & J. Elliott Campbell, 2017. "Peak growing season gross uptake of carbon in North America is largest in the Midwest USA," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 7(6), pages 450-454, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:7:y:2017:i:6:d:10.1038_nclimate3272
    DOI: 10.1038/nclimate3272
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