Short-Lived Trace Gases in the Surface Ocean and the Atmosphere

The two-way exchange of trace gases between the ocean and the atmosphere is important for both the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere and the biogeochemistry of the oceans, including the global cycling of elements. Here we review these exchanges and their importance for a range of gases whose lifetimes are generally short compared to the main greenhouse gases and which are, in most cases, more reactive than them. Gases considered include sulphur and related compounds, organohalogens, non-methane hydrocarbons, ozone, ammonia and related compounds, hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Finally, we stress the interactivity of the system, the importance of process understanding for modeling, the need for more extensive field measurements and their better seasonal coverage, the importance of inter-calibration exercises and finally the need to show the importance of air-sea exchanges for global cycling and how the field fits into the broader context of Earth System Science

Implications Of The Late Paleozoic Oxygen Pulse For Physiology And Evolution

The late Palaeozoic was marked by significant changes in atmospheric chemistry and biotic composition. Geochemical models suggest a marked increase and then decline of atmospheric oxygen and associated shifts in the concentration of carbon dioxide. Although the actual magnitude of these changes is uncertain, the pulse of oxygen concentration may have reached a maximum of 35% and then dropped to 15% (compared with the present 21%). This oxygen pulse may have influenced the evolution of major groups of organisms.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62968/1/375117a0.pd