Impact of changes in diffuse radiation on the global land carbon sink

Lina M. Mercado (), Nicolas Bellouin, Stephen Sitch, Olivier Boucher, Chris Huntingford, Martin Wild and Peter M. Cox
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Lina M. Mercado: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Nicolas Bellouin: Met Office Hadley Centre
Stephen Sitch: Met Office Hadley Centre
Olivier Boucher: Met Office Hadley Centre
Chris Huntingford: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Martin Wild: ETH Zurich, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science
Peter M. Cox: School of Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics, University of Exeter

Nature, 2009, vol. 458, issue 7241, 1014-1017

Abstract: A dim view of global warming Increased exposure to solar radiation generally increases plant photosynthesis, but not all forms of radiation are equally effective. In particular, field studies have demonstrated that a given amount of diffuse radiation leads to more fixed carbon than direct radiation. Mercado et al. use the HadGEM2-A general circulation model to simulate the effect of late twentieth century 'global dimming' and associated increases in the diffuse radiation fraction on global carbon storage. They find that increases in diffuse radiation enhanced the terrestrial carbon sink by about 25%. Paradoxically, reducing anthropogenic pollution in the future would reduce this diffuse radiation effect, thereby creating a positive feedback to global warming.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07949

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