CO2 from fossil fuels discerned from natural sources

[dipsydoodle]

Researchers have demonstrated a way of distinguishing between carbon dioxide in the air coming from fossil fuel burning and that from natural sources.

It measures one type, or isotope, of carbon that decays over time - long since gone from fossil fuels.

As explained in the Journal of Geophysical Research, the method may prove useful in CO2 monitoring efforts.

However, experts say that the approach must be calibrated against existing carbon-measuring techniques.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17784055

[caraher]

1. I wonder what's novel about this

It seems like maybe they're trying to do this on a more local scale than in the past? But it's long been known that fossil fuel carbon has essentially zero C-14, and I'm sure people have noted shifts in the isotopic composition before.

[Dead_Parrot]

2. It's called the Suess effect

And yeah, it was first noticed in 1955. I think NOAA just released a study (of the 'here's the figures for this decade' type), and someone at the BBC got over excited and took it as a breakthrough.

Sigh. Science journalists. Aren't they cute?

[n2doc]

3. Nothing particularly novel

People, as noted below, have known the use of 14C to examine fossil fuel inputs for decades. One can even use 13C (non radioisotope) as a tracer as FF carbon has a different isotopic value than atmospheric C. People have even used library books to examine the effect.


http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/12/how-do-we-know-that-recent-co2-increases-are-due-to-human-activities/

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Do you mean they've studied the effect on library books...

...or is there some awesome origami isotope ratio mass spectrometer?

/pedant