Global Carbon Cycle

Storage

Units are gigatons of carbon.

• Atmosphere - 778 Gtc
• Land plants - 610
• Soil and detritus - 1580
• Surface ocean - 1020
• Surface sediment - 150
• Dissolved organic carbon (oceanic) - 700
• Intermediate and deep ocean - 38,100

Fluxes

Units are gigatons of carbon per year.

• Atmosphere to surface ocean - 92
• Surface Ocean to atmosphere - 90
• Surface ocean to deep ocean - 92
• Deep ocean to Surface ocean - 100
• Atmosphere to Soil and detritus - 4
• Land use change to atmosphere - 1
• Deep ocean to surface sediments - 0.2
• Fossil fuel use and cement production - 6
• Dissolved organic carbon to deep ocean - 2

References:

NASA Earth Observatory - The carbon cycle. Accessed 5 Oct 2005.

Strategic Plan for the US Climate Change Science Program. Climate Change Science Program. Final Report, July 2003. Figure 7-1. Accessed 5 Oct 2005.