The radiocarbon budget for Mono Lake: an unsolved mystery

Wallace S. Broecker; Rik Wanninkhof; Guy Mathieu; Tsung Hung Peng; Scott Stine; Steve Robinson; Andy Herczeg; Minze Stuiver

doi:10.1016/0012-821X(88)90042-8

The radiocarbon budget for Mono Lake: an unsolved mystery

Wallace S. Broecker, Rik Wanninkhof, Guy Mathieu, Tsung Hung Peng, Scott Stine, Steve Robinson, Andy Herczeg, Minze Stuiver

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20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Since 1957 the ¹⁴C C ratio of the dissolved inorganic carbon in Mono Lake has risen by about 60‰. The magnitude of this increase is about four times larger than that expected from the invasion of bomb-produced ¹⁴C from the atmosphere. We have eliminated the following explanations: (1) measurement error, (2) an unusually high physical exchange rate for non-reactive gases, (3) inorganic enhancement of the CO₂ exchange rate, and (4) biological enhancement of the CO₂ exchange rate. Clandestine disposal of waste radiocarbon remains a dark-horse explanation. In the course of our investigations we have uncovered evidence for at least one episodic input of radiocarbon-free carbon to the lake over the last 1000 years. We speculate that this injection was related to a hydrothermal event resulting from sublacustrine volcanic activity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	16-26
Number of pages	11
Journal	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume	88
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821X(88)90042-8
Publication status	Published - Apr 1988
Externally published	Yes

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title = "The radiocarbon budget for Mono Lake: an unsolved mystery",

abstract = "Since 1957 the 14C C ratio of the dissolved inorganic carbon in Mono Lake has risen by about 60‰. The magnitude of this increase is about four times larger than that expected from the invasion of bomb-produced 14C from the atmosphere. We have eliminated the following explanations: (1) measurement error, (2) an unusually high physical exchange rate for non-reactive gases, (3) inorganic enhancement of the CO2 exchange rate, and (4) biological enhancement of the CO2 exchange rate. Clandestine disposal of waste radiocarbon remains a dark-horse explanation. In the course of our investigations we have uncovered evidence for at least one episodic input of radiocarbon-free carbon to the lake over the last 1000 years. We speculate that this injection was related to a hydrothermal event resulting from sublacustrine volcanic activity.",

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T2 - an unsolved mystery

AU - Broecker, Wallace S.

AU - Wanninkhof, Rik

AU - Mathieu, Guy

AU - Peng, Tsung Hung

AU - Stine, Scott

AU - Robinson, Steve

AU - Herczeg, Andy

AU - Stuiver, Minze

PY - 1988/4

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AB - Since 1957 the 14C C ratio of the dissolved inorganic carbon in Mono Lake has risen by about 60‰. The magnitude of this increase is about four times larger than that expected from the invasion of bomb-produced 14C from the atmosphere. We have eliminated the following explanations: (1) measurement error, (2) an unusually high physical exchange rate for non-reactive gases, (3) inorganic enhancement of the CO2 exchange rate, and (4) biological enhancement of the CO2 exchange rate. Clandestine disposal of waste radiocarbon remains a dark-horse explanation. In the course of our investigations we have uncovered evidence for at least one episodic input of radiocarbon-free carbon to the lake over the last 1000 years. We speculate that this injection was related to a hydrothermal event resulting from sublacustrine volcanic activity.

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The radiocarbon budget for Mono Lake: an unsolved mystery

Abstract

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