Integrated Assessment Modeling of Carbon Sequestration and Land Use Emissions Using Detailed Model Results and Observations Page: 4 of 9
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hydrological cycle not only on the THC but also on the oceanic carbon uptake. We also
explored the threshold values of the rate of CO2 increase and the absolute amount of
atmospheric CO2 that are likely to induce the collapse of the North Atlantic Deep Water
(NADW) formation (Cao and Jain, 2003).
Measuring Ocean Carbon Sequestration Efficiency: The Role of Boundary Conditions
The accumulation of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere could be slowed or even
reversed with intentional storage of CO2 in the ocean. In one class of ocean storage
schemes, CO2 is captured from a point source on land, pressurized to form a liquid, and
then injected into the ocean interior. Contrasting claims have been made regarding the
effectiveness of this approach. Some claim that most of the added CO2 would reside in
the oceans for millenia; others claim that most of the added CO2 would leak back to the
atmosphere within centuries. In this study, we show that these contrasting claims are the
consequence of the choice of atmospheric boundary condition for ocean sequestration
simulations. We used ISAM model for a more detailed analysis of the role of different
boundary conditions. Our ISAM model results suggest that a responsive atmospheric
CO2 boundary condition is appropriate for predicting future carbon concentrations, but a
specified atmospheric CO2 boundary condition is appropriate for evaluating how much
CO2 storage should be attributed to an ocean storage scheme (Mueller et al., 2004).
Developing Carbon Management Response (CMR) Curves
Measurement of the change in soil carbon that accompanies a change in land use (e.g.,
forest to agriculture) or management (e.g., conventional tillage to no-till) can be complex
and expensive, may require reference plots, and is subject to the variability of statistical
sampling and short term variability in weather. In this study we developed Carbon
Management Response (CMR) curves that could be used as an alternative to in situ
measurements. The CMR curves developed here are based on quantitative reviews of
existing global analyses and field observations of changes in soil carbon. The curves
show mean annual rates of soil carbon change, estimated time to maximum rates of
change, and estimated time to a new soil carbon steady state following the initial change
in management. We illustrate how CMR curves could be used in a carbon accounting
framework while effectively addressing a number of potential policy issues commonly
associated with carbon accounting. We find that CMR curves provide a transparent
means to account for changes in soil carbon accumulation and loss rates over time, and
also provide empirical relationships that might be used in the development or validation
of ecological or Earth system models. This research produced two Journal articles (West
and Post 2002; West et al., 2004).
Terrestrial Biosphere Model: Development and Implementation for the Carbon
Sequestration Studies
A terrestrial carbon cycle component of the Integrated Science Assessment Model
(ISAM) is extended and used to examine the response of plant and soil carbon stocks to
historical changes in land cover, land use management, atmospheric CO2 concentration
and climate. This geographically-explicit implementation of ISAM simulates the carbon
fluxes to and from different compartments of the terrestrial biosphere with 0.5-by-0.5
degree spatial resolution (longitude and latitude). Each grid cell contains thirteen land
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Jain, Dr. Atul. Integrated Assessment Modeling of Carbon Sequestration and Land Use Emissions Using Detailed Model Results and Observations, report, April 17, 2005; United States. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc930020/m1/4/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.