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Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
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FROM VOLUME 4, NUMBER 7, JULY 1991

NEWS...
RESEARCH NEWS

Item #d91jul103

The Carbon Cycle (Each discusses papers listed in Prof. Publications/Global Carbon Cycle, this Global Climate Change Digest issue--July 1991.)

"Tiny Plants Challenge Greenhouse Plan," Sci. News, p. 327, May 25, 1991. Antarctic sediment cores indicate that diatoms fared poorly in glacial periods, suggesting ocean fertilization to avert greenhouse warming would not work. (See Mortlock, Nature, p. 220, May 16.)

"CO₂: Where It Goes, Nobody Knows," Sci. News, p. 191, Mar. 23, 1991. Sampled variations in CO₂ concentrations at the ocean surface indicate a possible source of major error in estimates of ocean absorption of CO₂. (See Watson, Nature, p. 50, Mar. 7.)

"CO₂ and Temperature: A Pas de Deux," Sci. News, p. 159, Mar. 9, 1991. Close correlation observed between air temperature and atmospheric CO₂ levels supports the possibility of positive feedback from greenhouse warming. (See Marston, Nature, p. 573, Feb. 14.)

Item #d91jul104

"The Buildup of a Greenhouse Gas Slows," Science, p. 1496, June 14, 1991. At the spring American Geophysical Union meeting, atmospheric chemists Sherwood Rowland and Donald Blake announced that the rate of methane increase has slowed from 18 to about 13 ppbv per year. Although the reason for this is not known, Rowland pointed out that methane is a good candidate for control because of its short atmospheric lifetime.

Item #d91jul105

"Rice: Methane Risk Rises," Sci. News, p. 310, May 18, 1991. New measurements show that methane emissions from Chinese rice paddies are 4 to 10 times those from U.S. paddies. (See Khalil, Environ. Sci. Technol., p. 979, May 1991, listed in Prof. Pubs./Atmos. Chem., this Global Climate Change Digest issue--July 1991.)

Item #d91jul106

"U.S. Skies Harbor Ozone Destroyer," R. Monastersky, Sci. News, p. 84, Mar. 28, 1991 (see also New Sci., p. 20, Mar. 16). Unexpectedly large concentrations of chlorine monoxide have been measured, the first direct evidence at midlatitudes that chlorine compounds can destroy ozone in wintertime. (See Toohey, Geophys. Res. Lett., p. 21, Jan. 1991, listed in Prof. Pubs./Stratospheric Ozone, this Global Climate Change Digest issue--July 1991.)

Item #d91jul107

"Ecologists Set Broad Priorities for the 1990s," A. Gibbons, Science, p. 504, Apr. 26, 1991. A research agenda just completed by the Ecological Society of America makes global change a top priority, along with biological diversity and sustainability of ecological systems. (See Prof. Pubs./General Interest, this Global Climate Change Digest issue--July 1991.)

Item #d91jul108

"EOS Panel Begins Review," Eos, p. 273, June 25, 1991. A panel of scientists and engineers created at the request of the Bush Administration has begun to review NASA's Earth Observing System plans. Arguments that favor using smaller satellites at less cost are likely to be aired.