Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1504
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1504
29 May 2024
 | 29 May 2024

Carbon-climate feedback higher when assuming Michaelis-Menten kinetics of respiration

Christian Beer

Abstract. Earth system models simplify complex terrestrial respiration processes assuming a first-order chemical reaction or assuming a Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The epistemic uncertainty related to the respective mathematical representations is unclear. Using a simplified model of biogeochemical feedbacks to climate, we show that the terrestrial carbon-climate feedback is more than 35 % higher, and hence the remaining carbon budget to keep global warming below 2 °C is 89–158 Pg C higher, when assuming Michaelis-Menten kinetics instead of first-order kinetics, but these differences depend on the underlying emission scenario. These results show the importance of an increased understanding of the mathematical model structure of respiration processes in Earth System Models for more reliably projecting future carbon dynamics and climate, related feedback mechanisms, and hence to estimate a valid remaining anthropogenic carbon budget.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

17 Sep 2025
Carbon–climate feedback higher when assuming Michaelis–Menten kinetics of respiration
Christian Beer
Earth Syst. Dynam., 16, 1527–1537, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1527-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1527-2025, 2025
Short summary
Christian Beer

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1504', William Wieder, 26 Jul 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1504', Anonymous Referee #2, 08 Aug 2024

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1504', William Wieder, 26 Jul 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-1504', Anonymous Referee #2, 08 Aug 2024

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (26 Sep 2024) by Parvadha Suntharalingam
AR by Christian Beer on behalf of the Authors (14 Nov 2024)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (25 Nov 2024) by Parvadha Suntharalingam
RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (10 Mar 2025)
RR by Anonymous Referee #4 (29 Mar 2025)
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (31 Mar 2025) by Parvadha Suntharalingam
AR by Christian Beer on behalf of the Authors (26 May 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (12 Jun 2025) by Parvadha Suntharalingam
AR by Christian Beer on behalf of the Authors (19 Jun 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (08 Jul 2025) by Parvadha Suntharalingam
AR by Christian Beer on behalf of the Authors (10 Jul 2025)

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

17 Sep 2025
Carbon–climate feedback higher when assuming Michaelis–Menten kinetics of respiration
Christian Beer
Earth Syst. Dynam., 16, 1527–1537, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1527-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1527-2025, 2025
Short summary
Christian Beer
Christian Beer

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The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

Short summary
Fauna and flora respires carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is a major carbon flux into the atmosphere. The underlying biochemical processes are complex, and we generalize them either assuming a first order chemical reaction of carbon and oxygen to carbon dioxide, or assuming enzymatic reactions. Here, we show that these assumptions lead to large differences in estimating the carbon-climate feedback until 2100 and the remaining carbon budget to keep warming below 2 degrees C.
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