Carbon storage in marine and terrestrial sediments

This work explores two aspects of the global carbon cycle. Research regarding past atmospheric pCO2 levels shows that enough aeolian silica was delivered to the ocean during the last glacial period to have caused a shift in oceanic species populations, altering ocean-atmosphere interactions causing oceans to become a sink for CO2. This change could account for the observed drop of atmospheric pCO 2 levels of approximately 80 ppm during the transition to interglacial conditions.; Work regarding current and future atmospheric pCO 2 levels indicates that litterfall beneath loblolly pine trees exposed to elevated CO2 levels accumulates carbon at an average rate that is 71% greater than trees grown at ambient CO2 levels. This research and the derived litter CO2 fertilization factor can be used to estimate increases in litter carbon uptake due to increases in atmospheric CO2.