Remobilization of crustal carbon dominates volcanic arc emissions
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Publication Date
2017-07-21Journal Title
Science
ISSN
0036-8075
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Volume
357
Pages
290-294
Language
English
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Metadata
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Edmonds, M., Mason, E., & Turchyn, S. (2017). Remobilization of crustal carbon dominates volcanic arc emissions. Science, 357 290-294. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan5049
Abstract
The flux of carbon into and out of Earth’s surface environment has implications for Earth’s climate and habitability. We compiled a global dataset for carbon and helium isotopes from volcanic arcs and demonstrated that the carbon isotope composition of mean global volcanic gas is considerably heavier, at -3.8 to -4.6 ‰, than the canonical Mid-Ocean-Ridge Basalt value of -6.0 ‰. The largest volcanic emitters outgas carbon with higher δ13C and are located in mature continental arcs that have accreted carbonate platforms, indicating that reworking of crustal limestone is an important source of volcanic carbon. The fractional burial of organic carbon is lower than traditionally determined from a global carbon isotope mass balance and may have varied over geological time, modulated by supercontinent formation and breakup.
Sponsorship
This study was supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Deep Carbon Observatory. This work was supported by a European Research Council Starting Investigator Grant (307582) to A.V.T.
Funder references
Alfred P Sloan Foundation (G-2016-20166047)
NERC (NE/J017930/1)
European Research Council (307582)
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan5049
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/266762
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