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Reevaluating carbon fluxes in subduction zones, what goes down, mostly comes up

2015; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 112; Issue: 30 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1073/pnas.1507889112

1091-6490

P. B. Kelemen, C. E. Manning,

earthquake and tectonic studies

Significance This paper reviews carbon fluxes into and out of subduction zones, using compiled data, calculations of carbon solubility in aqueous fluids, and estimates of carbon flux in metasedimentary diapirs. Upper-bound estimates suggest that most subducting carbon is transported into the mantle lithosphere and crust, whereas previous reviews suggested that about half is recycled into the convecting mantle. If upper-bound estimates are correct, and observed output from volcanoes and diffuse outgassing is smaller, then the mantle lithosphere is an important reservoir for carbon. If the subduction carbon cycle remains in balance, then outgassing from ridges and ocean islands is not balanced, so that the carbon content of the lithosphere + ocean + atmosphere has increased over Earth history.