Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2976
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2976
02 Oct 2024
 | 02 Oct 2024

Assessing the lifetime of anthropogenic CO2 and its sensitivity to different carbon cycle processes

Christine Kaufhold, Matteo Willeit, Bo Liu, and Andrey Ganopolski

Abstract. Although it is well-established that anthropogenic CO2 emitted into the atmosphere will persist for a long time, the duration of the anthropogenic climate perturbation will depend on how rapidly the excess CO2 is removed from the climate system by different biogeochemical processes. The uncertainty around the long-term climate evolution is therefore not only linked to the future of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, but to our insufficient understanding of the long-term carbon cycle. Here, we use the fast Earth system model CLIMBER-X, which features a comprehensive carbon cycle, to examine the lifetime of anthropogenic CO2 and its effects on the long-term evolution of atmospheric CO2 concentration. This is done through an ensemble of 100,000 year long simulations, each driven by idealized CO2 emission pulses. Our findings indicate that, depending on the magnitude of the emission, 75 % of anthropogenic CO2 is removed within 1971,820 years after emissions end. Approximately 4.3 % of anthropogenic CO2 will remain beyond 100 kyr. We find that the uptake of carbon by land, which has only been marginally considered in previous studies, has a significant long-term effect, storing approximately 413 % of anthropogenic carbon by the end of the simulation. For the first time, we have quantified the effect of dynamically changing methane concentrations on the long-term carbon cycle, showing that its effects are likely negligible over long timescales. The timescale of carbon removal via silicate weathering is also reassessed here, providing an estimate (80105 kyrs) that is significantly shorter than some previous studies due to higher climate sensitivity, stronger weathering feedbacks, and the use of a spatially explicit weathering scheme, leading to a faster removal of anthropogenic CO2 in the long-term. Our study highlights the importance of adding model complexity to the global carbon cycle in Earth system models, as to accurately represent the long-term future evolution of atmospheric CO2.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Christine Kaufhold, Matteo Willeit, Bo Liu, and Andrey Ganopolski

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2976', Anonymous Referee #1, 28 Oct 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Christine Kaufhold, 05 Dec 2024
  • CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2976', Paul Pukite, 28 Oct 2024
    • AC4: 'Reply on CC1', Christine Kaufhold, 05 Dec 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2976', Anonymous Referee #2, 06 Nov 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Christine Kaufhold, 05 Dec 2024
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2976', Pierre Maffre, 06 Nov 2024
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC3', Christine Kaufhold, 05 Dec 2024
Christine Kaufhold, Matteo Willeit, Bo Liu, and Andrey Ganopolski
Christine Kaufhold, Matteo Willeit, Bo Liu, and Andrey Ganopolski

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Short summary
This study simulates long-term future climate scenarios to examine how long CO2 emissions will persist in the atmosphere. It shows that the effectiveness of carbon removal processes varies with the amount emitted. The removal of CO2 through silicate weathering is faster than previously thought, leading to a quicker reduction over time. The combined behaviour of different carbon cycle processes emphasizes the need to include all of them in models, as to better predict long-term atmospheric CO2.