In 2000, humans burned about 5.1 billion short tons (4.6 billion metric tons) of coal, 28.1 billion barrels of oil, and 89 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which caused about 6.5 petagrams (6.5 billion metric tons) of carbon to flow from the fossil fuel storage pool to the atmosphere. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Each year, photosynthesis by terrestrial plants moves about 110 petagrams (1 petagram = 1015 grams = 1012 kilograms = 1 billion metric tons; so 110 petagrams = 110 billion metric tons) of carbon from the atmosphere to the biota. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Currently, the flow of carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean is about 2 petagrams (2 billion metric tons) greater than the flow of carbon from the ocean to the atmosphere. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Each year, respiration by organisms other than detrivores returns to the atmosphere almost half (50 petagrams or 50 billion metric tons) of the carbon dioxide that is absorbed by photosynthesis. ❋ Unknown (2009)
This flow of carbon is known as decay and accounts for about 60 petagrams (60 billion metric tons). ❋ Unknown (2009)
Global changes in climate have eased several critical climatic constraints to plant growth, such that net primary production increased 6% (3.4 petagrams of carbon over 18 years) globally. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Boreal and subarctic peatlands contain approximately 455 Pg (petagrams; 1 petagram = 1015 grams = 1012 kilograms = 121 billion tons) of carbon accumulating at an average rate of 0.096 Pg/yr, and constitute a significant proportion of the total boreal carbon pool [6]. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Based on observed atmospheric carbon dioxide CO2 concentration and an inverse method, we estimate that the Southern Ocean sink of CO2 has weakened between 1981 and 2004 by 0.08 petagrams of carbon per year per decade relative to the trend expected from the large increase in atmospheric CO2. ❋ Unknown (2007)
Using inorganic carbon measurements from an international survey effort in the 1990s and a tracer-based separation technique, we estimate a global oceanic anthropogenic carbon dioxide CO2 sink for the period from 1800 to 1994 of 118 ± 19 petagrams of carbon. ❋ Unknown (2006)
The oceanic sink accounts for ~48% of the total fossil-fuel and cement-manufacturing emissions, implying that the terrestrial biosphere was a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere of about 39 ± 28 petagrams of carbon for this period. ❋ Unknown (2006)
The value for the anthropogenic emissions for the 1980s was given as 5.4 PgC/year, which is 5.4 petagrams of carbon per year or 5.4 gigatonnes of carbon per year. ❋ Unknown (2006)
Amonette and his colleagues found that the maximum scenario could offset up to the equivalent of 1.8 petagrams - or 1.8 billion metric tons - of carbon emissions annually and a total of 130 billion metric tons throughout in the first 100 years. ❋ Unknown (2010)
That number - about 98 petagrams of carbon a year (or 98 billion metric tons) - will help scientists build a better overall model of how carbon in its many forms cycles throughout the Earth. ❋ Ani (2010)
Earth's oceans naturally absorb about two petagrams of carbon annually - compared to the estimated 6.5 petagrams of carbon released each year by fossil fuel consumption. ❋ Justine Hunter (2010)
Roughly 4 petagrams are reabsorbed by the oceans and land. ❋ JR (2010)
The authors say the increased soil emissions are 0.1 petagrams per year, but the News Release implies 9.8 to 14.6 petragrams per year. ❋ JR (2010)
A 10 to 15 percent increase in CO2 emission from soils is 9.8 to 14.6 petagrams per year. ❋ JR (2010)
