Experimental and numerical studies of the 18O exchange between CO2 and water in the atmosphere soil invasion flux

Details Experimental and numerical studies of the 18O exchange between CO2 and water in the atmosphere soil invasion flux Experimental and numerical studies of the 18O exchange between CO2 and water in the atmosphere soil invasion flux

Jun 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007gecoa..71.2657k&link_type=abstract

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Volume 71, Issue 11, p. 2657-2671.

Computer Science

2

Scientific paper

The 18O/16O ratio of CO2 is a potentially powerful tracer of carbon dioxide fluxes from the soil to the atmosphere, which is influenced by complex interactions involving both biotic and abiotic soil processes. We use a simplified experimental approach and numerical simulations to examine in isolation the 18O exchange between CO2 and soil water associated with the abiotic invasion of atmospheric CO2 into soil. This allowed us to verify, in particular, whether the 18O of the retro-diffusion flux of CO2 from the soil reflects 18O equilibration with water at the soil surface, or at some depth. Sterile soil samples with known water isotopic composition were placed in a closed box attached to a specially designed flow chamber and the changes in δ18O of CO2 between the chamber inlet and outlet, due only to invasion effects, were determined. Numerical simulations constrained by the laboratory gas exchange measurements indicated that between the two commonly used diffusion models [Penman, H.L. (1940). Gas and vapor movements in soil, 1: the diffusion of vapors through porous solids. Int. J. Agric. Sci.30, 437 462; Moldrup, P., Olesen, T., Yamaguchi, T., Schjonning, P., Rolston, D.E. (1999). Modeling diffusion and reaction in soils, IX, the Backingham Burdine Campbell equation for gas diffusivity in undisturbed soil. Soil Sci.164, 542 551], only the former provided good agreement with the measurements over a wide range of soil water contents. Based on the model calculations constrained by experimental data, and on comparison of characteristic diffusion/reaction times, we conclude that the depth required for full CO2 water 18O equilibration ranges between 2 and 8.5 cm. The depth depends, in order of importance, on (1) soil moisture content; (2) temperature, which dominates the rate of hydration isotopic exchange; (3) CO2 residence time, which is determined by the time of replacement of the column air above the soil; and (4) soil structure, including porosity, tortuosity and grain size, with the later probably influencing the water surface area exposed to CO2 exchange. Using field data from a semi-arid forest site in Israel, numerical simulations indicated that the 18O full equilibrium depth varied at this site between 4 cm (January) and 8 cm (November), being sensitive mostly to temperature and soil water content. Deepening of the equilibration depth as the soil dries should limit the effects of 18O evaporative enrichment at the surface on the isotopic composition of the soil atmosphere CO2 flux.

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