Reply to ASK-AN-EARTH-SCIENTIST

Subject: Atmospheric CO2

I would like to know how the marine carbonate sediments effect the concen tration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and where I can find some information on this topic

I suggest the following references:

Berner, R.A., Lasaga, A.C., and Garrels, R.M., 1983, The carbonate-silicate geochemical cycle and its effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 100 million years: American Journal of Science, v. 283, p. 641-683.
Berner, R.A., 1992, Weathering, plants, and the long-term carbon cycle: Geochim. Cosmoschi. Acta, v. 56, p. 3225-3231.
Berner, R.A., 1993, Weathering and its effect on atmospheric CO2 over Phanerozoic time: Chemical Geology, v. 107, p. 373-374.
Berner, R.A., Ruttenberg, K.C., Ingall, E.D., and Rao, J.-L., 1993, The nature of phosphorus burial in modern marine sediments, in Wollast, R., F.T., M., and Chou, L., eds., Interactions of C, N, P and S Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change: Berlin, Springer-Verlag, p. 365-378.

Dr. Craig R. Glenn, Professor
Department of Geology and Geophysics
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822