Articles | Volume 7, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-103-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-103-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Comment on: "Recent revisions of phosphate rock reserves and resources: a critique" by Edixhoven et al. (2014) – clarifying comments and thoughts on key conceptions, conclusions and interpretation to allow for sustainable action
R. W. Scholz
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering
and Biotechnology (IGB), Stuttgart, Germany
Danube University Krems, Faculty of Economics and Globalization,
Department for Knowledge and Communication Management, Krems, Austria
F.-W. Wellmer
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
formerly at: Federal Institute of Geosciences and
Natural Resources, Hannover, Neue Sachlichkeit 32, 30655 Hannover, Germany
Related subject area
Earth system interactions with the biosphere: biogeochemical cycles
How does the phytoplankton–light feedback affect the marine N2O inventory?
Time-varying changes and uncertainties in the CMIP6 ocean carbon sink from global to local scale
Interannual global carbon cycle variations linked to atmospheric circulation variability
Contrasting projections of the ENSO-driven CO2 flux variability in the equatorial Pacific under high-warming scenario
Divergent historical GPP trends among state-of-the-art multi-model simulations and satellite-based products
Indian Ocean marine biogeochemical variability and its feedback on simulated South Asia climate
Impact of bioenergy crop expansion on climate–carbon cycle feedbacks in overshoot scenarios
Biogeochemical functioning of the Baltic Sea
Process-based analysis of terrestrial carbon flux predictability
Parameter uncertainty dominates C-cycle forecast errors over most of Brazil for the 21st century
Resolving ecological feedbacks on the ocean carbon sink in Earth system models
Disequilibrium of terrestrial ecosystem CO2 budget caused by disturbance-induced emissions and non-CO2 carbon export flows: a global model assessment
Ocean phosphorus inventory: large uncertainties in future projections on millennial timescales and their consequences for ocean deoxygenation
Evaluation of terrestrial pan-Arctic carbon cycling using a data-assimilation system
Hazards of decreasing marine oxygen: the near-term and millennial-scale benefits of meeting the Paris climate targets
The biomass burning contribution to climate–carbon-cycle feedback
Earth system model simulations show different feedback strengths of the terrestrial carbon cycle under glacial and interglacial conditions
Reliability ensemble averaging of 21st century projections of terrestrial net primary productivity reduces global and regional uncertainties
Nitrogen leaching from natural ecosystems under global change: a modelling study
Structure and functioning of the acid–base system in the Baltic Sea
The potential of using remote sensing data to estimate air–sea CO2 exchange in the Baltic Sea
Effects of the 2014 major Baltic inflow on methane and nitrous oxide dynamics in the water column of the central Baltic Sea
Evapotranspiration seasonality across the Amazon Basin
Seasonal effects of irrigation on land–atmosphere latent heat, sensible heat, and carbon fluxes in semiarid basin
Divergent predictions of carbon storage between two global land models: attribution of the causes through traceability analysis
Effect of various climate databases on the results of dendroclimatic analysis
The Southern Ocean as a constraint to reduce uncertainty in future ocean carbon sinks
Climate and carbon cycle dynamics in a CESM simulation from 850 to 2100 CE
The ocean carbon sink – impacts, vulnerabilities and challenges
Recent revisions of phosphate rock reserves and resources: a critique
The sensitivity of carbon turnover in the Community Land Model to modified assumptions about soil processes
Comment on "Carbon farming in hot, dry coastal areas: an option for climate change mitigation" by Becker et al. (2013)
Dynamical and biogeochemical control on the decadal variability of ocean carbon fluxes
Soil temperature response to 21st century global warming: the role of and some implications for peat carbon in thawing permafrost soils in North America
Thermodynamic dissipation theory for the origin of life
Sarah Berthet, Julien Jouanno, Roland Séférian, Marion Gehlen, and William Llovel
Earth Syst. Dynam., 14, 399–412, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-399-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-399-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Phytoplankton absorbs the solar radiation entering the ocean surface and contributes to keeping the associated energy in surface waters. This natural effect is either not represented in the ocean component of climate models or its representation is simplified. An incomplete representation of this biophysical interaction affects the way climate models simulate ocean warming, which leads to uncertainties in projections of oceanic emissions of an important greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide).
Parsa Gooya, Neil C. Swart, and Roberta C. Hamme
Earth Syst. Dynam., 14, 383–398, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-383-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-383-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We report on the ocean carbon sink and sources of uptake uncertainty from the latest version of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. We diagnose the highly active regions for the sink and show how knowledge about historical regions of uptake will provide information about future regions of uptake change and uncertainty. We evaluate the dependence of uncertainty on the location and integration scale. Our results help make useful suggestions for both modeling and observational communities.
Na Li, Sebastian Sippel, Alexander J. Winkler, Miguel D. Mahecha, Markus Reichstein, and Ana Bastos
Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 1505–1533, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1505-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1505-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Quantifying the imprint of large-scale atmospheric circulation dynamics and associated carbon cycle responses is key to improving our understanding of carbon cycle dynamics. Using a statistical model that relies on spatiotemporal sea level pressure as a proxy for large-scale atmospheric circulation, we quantify the fraction of interannual variability in atmospheric CO2 growth rate and the land CO2 sink that are driven by atmospheric circulation variability.
Pradeebane Vaittinada Ayar, Laurent Bopp, Jim R. Christian, Tatiana Ilyina, John P. Krasting, Roland Séférian, Hiroyuki Tsujino, Michio Watanabe, Andrew Yool, and Jerry Tjiputra
Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 1097–1118, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1097-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1097-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The El Niño–Southern Oscillation is the main driver for the natural variability of global atmospheric CO2. It modulates the CO2 fluxes in the tropical Pacific with anomalous CO2 influx during El Niño and outflux during La Niña. This relationship is projected to reverse by half of Earth system models studied here under the business-as-usual scenario. This study shows models that simulate a positive bias in surface carbonate concentrations simulate a shift in the ENSO–CO2 flux relationship.
Ruqi Yang, Jun Wang, Ning Zeng, Stephen Sitch, Wenhan Tang, Matthew Joseph McGrath, Qixiang Cai, Di Liu, Danica Lombardozzi, Hanqin Tian, Atul K. Jain, and Pengfei Han
Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 833–849, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-833-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-833-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We comprehensively investigate historical GPP trends based on five kinds of GPP datasets and analyze the causes for any discrepancies among them. Results show contrasting behaviors between modeled and satellite-based GPP trends, and their inconsistencies are likely caused by the contrasting performance between satellite-derived and modeled leaf area index (LAI). Thus, the uncertainty in satellite-based GPP induced by LAI undermines its role in assessing the performance of DGVM simulations.
Dmitry V. Sein, Anton Y. Dvornikov, Stanislav D. Martyanov, William Cabos, Vladimir A. Ryabchenko, Matthias Gröger, Daniela Jacob, Alok Kumar Mishra, and Pankaj Kumar
Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 809–831, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-809-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-809-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The effect of the marine biogeochemical variability upon the South Asian regional climate has been investigated. In the experiment where its full impact is activated, the average sea surface temperature is lower over most of the ocean. When the biogeochemical coupling is included, the main impacts include the enhanced phytoplankton primary production, a shallower thermocline, decreased SST and water temperature in subsurface layers.
Irina Melnikova, Olivier Boucher, Patricia Cadule, Katsumasa Tanaka, Thomas Gasser, Tomohiro Hajima, Yann Quilcaille, Hideo Shiogama, Roland Séférian, Kaoru Tachiiri, Nicolas Vuichard, Tokuta Yokohata, and Philippe Ciais
Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 779–794, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-779-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-779-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The deployment of bioenergy crops for capturing carbon from the atmosphere facilitates global warming mitigation via generating negative CO2 emissions. Here, we explored the consequences of large-scale energy crops deployment on the land carbon cycle. The land-use change for energy crops leads to carbon emissions and loss of future potential increase in carbon uptake by natural ecosystems. This impact should be taken into account by the modeling teams and accounted for in mitigation policies.
Karol Kuliński, Gregor Rehder, Eero Asmala, Alena Bartosova, Jacob Carstensen, Bo Gustafsson, Per O. J. Hall, Christoph Humborg, Tom Jilbert, Klaus Jürgens, H. E. Markus Meier, Bärbel Müller-Karulis, Michael Naumann, Jørgen E. Olesen, Oleg Savchuk, Andreas Schramm, Caroline P. Slomp, Mikhail Sofiev, Anna Sobek, Beata Szymczycha, and Emma Undeman
Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 633–685, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-633-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-633-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The paper covers the aspects related to changes in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C, N, P) external loads; their transformations in the coastal zone; changes in organic matter production (eutrophication) and remineralization (oxygen availability); and the role of sediments in burial and turnover of C, N, and P. Furthermore, this paper also focuses on changes in the marine CO2 system, the structure of the microbial community, and the role of contaminants for biogeochemical processes.
István Dunkl, Aaron Spring, Pierre Friedlingstein, and Victor Brovkin
Earth Syst. Dynam., 12, 1413–1426, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-1413-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-1413-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The variability in atmospheric CO2 is largely controlled by terrestrial carbon fluxes. These land–atmosphere fluxes are predictable for around 2 years, but the mechanisms providing the predictability are not well understood. By decomposing the predictability of carbon fluxes into individual contributors we were able to explain the spatial and seasonal patterns and the interannual variability of CO2 flux predictability.
Thomas Luke Smallman, David Thomas Milodowski, Eráclito Sousa Neto, Gerbrand Koren, Jean Ometto, and Mathew Williams
Earth Syst. Dynam., 12, 1191–1237, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-1191-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-1191-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Our study provides a novel assessment of model parameter, structure and climate change scenario uncertainty contribution to future predictions of the Brazilian terrestrial carbon stocks to 2100. We calibrated (2001–2017) five models of the terrestrial C cycle of varied structure. The calibrated models were then projected to 2100 under multiple climate change scenarios. Parameter uncertainty dominates overall uncertainty, being ~ 40 times that of either model structure or climate change scenario.
David I. Armstrong McKay, Sarah E. Cornell, Katherine Richardson, and Johan Rockström
Earth Syst. Dynam., 12, 797–818, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-797-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-797-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use an Earth system model with two new ocean ecosystem features (plankton size traits and temperature-sensitive nutrient recycling) to revaluate the effect of climate change on sinking organic carbon (the
biological pump) and the ocean carbon sink. These features lead to contrary pump responses to warming, with a combined effect of a smaller sink despite a more resilient pump. These results show the importance of including ecological dynamics in models for understanding climate feedbacks.
Akihiko Ito
Earth Syst. Dynam., 10, 685–709, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-685-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-685-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Various minor carbon flows such as trace gas emissions, disturbance-induced emissions, and subsurface exports can affect the carbon budget of terrestrial ecosystems in complicated ways. This study assessed how much these minor flows influence the carbon budget using a process-based model. It was found that the minor flows, though small in magnitude, could significantly affect net carbon budget at as much strengths as major flows, implying their long-term importance in Earth's climate system.
Tronje P. Kemena, Angela Landolfi, Andreas Oschlies, Klaus Wallmann, and Andrew W. Dale
Earth Syst. Dynam., 10, 539–553, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-539-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-539-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Oceanic deoxygenation is driven by climate change in several areas of the global ocean. Measurements indicate that ocean volumes with very low oxygen levels expand, with consequences for marine organisms and fishery. We found climate-change-driven phosphorus (P) input in the ocean is hereby an important driver for deoxygenation on longer timescales with effects in the next millennia.
Efrén López-Blanco, Jean-François Exbrayat, Magnus Lund, Torben R. Christensen, Mikkel P. Tamstorf, Darren Slevin, Gustaf Hugelius, Anthony A. Bloom, and Mathew Williams
Earth Syst. Dynam., 10, 233–255, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-233-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-233-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The terrestrial CO2 exchange in Arctic ecosystems plays an important role in the global carbon cycle and is particularly sensitive to the ongoing warming experienced in recent years. To improve our understanding of the atmosphere–biosphere interplay, we evaluated the state of the terrestrial pan-Arctic carbon cycling using a promising data assimilation system in the first 15 years of the 21st century. This is crucial when it comes to making predictions about the future state of the carbon cycle.
Gianna Battaglia and Fortunat Joos
Earth Syst. Dynam., 9, 797–816, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-797-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-797-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Human-caused, climate change hazards in the ocean continue to aggravate over a very long time. For business as usual, we project the ocean oxygen content to decrease by 40 % over the next thousand years. This would likely have severe consequences for marine life. Global warming and oxygen loss are linked, and meeting the warming target of the Paris Climate Agreement effectively limits related marine hazards. Developments over many thousands of years should be considered to assess marine risks.
Sandy P. Harrison, Patrick J. Bartlein, Victor Brovkin, Sander Houweling, Silvia Kloster, and I. Colin Prentice
Earth Syst. Dynam., 9, 663–677, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-663-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-663-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Temperature affects fire occurrence and severity. Warming will increase fire-related carbon emissions and thus atmospheric CO2. The size of this feedback is not known. We use charcoal records to estimate pre-industrial fire emissions and a simple land–biosphere model to quantify the feedback. We infer a feedback strength of 5.6 3.2 ppm CO2 per degree of warming and a gain of 0.09 ± 0.05 for a climate sensitivity of 2.8 K. Thus, fire feedback is a large part of the climate–carbon-cycle feedback.
Markus Adloff, Christian H. Reick, and Martin Claussen
Earth Syst. Dynam., 9, 413–425, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-413-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-413-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Computer simulations show that during an ice age a strong atmospheric CO2 increase would have resulted in stronger carbon uptake of the continents than today. Causes are the larger potential of glacial vegetation to increase its photosynthetic efficiency under increasing CO2 and the smaller amount of carbon in extratropical soils during an ice age that can be released under greenhouse warming. Hence, for different climates the Earth system is differently sensitive to carbon cycle perturbations.
Jean-François Exbrayat, A. Anthony Bloom, Pete Falloon, Akihiko Ito, T. Luke Smallman, and Mathew Williams
Earth Syst. Dynam., 9, 153–165, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-153-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-153-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We use global observations of current terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) to constrain the uncertainty in large ensemble 21st century projections of NPP under a "business as usual" scenario using a skill-based multi-model averaging technique. Our results show that this procedure helps greatly reduce the uncertainty in global projections of NPP. We also identify regions where uncertainties in models and observations remain too large to confidently conclude a sign of the change of NPP.
Maarten C. Braakhekke, Karin T. Rebel, Stefan C. Dekker, Benjamin Smith, Arthur H. W. Beusen, and Martin J. Wassen
Earth Syst. Dynam., 8, 1121–1139, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-1121-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-1121-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Nitrogen input in natural ecosystems usually has a positive effect on plant growth. However, too much N causes N leaching, which contributes to water pollution. Using a global model we estimated that N leaching from natural lands has increased by 73 % during the 20th century, mainly due to rising N deposition from the atmosphere caused by emissions from fossil fuels and agriculture. Climate change and increasing CO2 concentration had positive and negative effects (respectively) on N leaching.
Karol Kuliński, Bernd Schneider, Beata Szymczycha, and Marcin Stokowski
Earth Syst. Dynam., 8, 1107–1120, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-1107-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-1107-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
This review describes the general knowledge of the marine acid–base system as well as the peculiarities identified and reported for the Baltic Sea specifically. We discuss issues such as dissociation constants in the brackish water, the structure of the total alkalinity in the Baltic Sea, long-term changes in total alkalinity, and the acid–base effects of biomass production and mineralization. We identify research gaps and specify bottlenecks concerning the Baltic Sea acid–base system.
Gaëlle Parard, Anna Rutgersson, Sindu Raj Parampil, and Anastase Alexandre Charantonis
Earth Syst. Dynam., 8, 1093–1106, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-1093-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-1093-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal environments and shelf sea represent 7.6 % of the total oceanic surface area. They are, however, biogeochemically more dynamic and probably more vulnerable to climate change than the open ocean. Whatever the responses of the open ocean to climate change, they will propagate to the coastal ocean. We used the self-organizing multiple linear output (SOMLO) method to estimate the ocean surface pCO2 in the Baltic Sea from remotely sensed measurements and we estimated the air–sea CO2 flux.
Jukka-Pekka Myllykangas, Tom Jilbert, Gunnar Jakobs, Gregor Rehder, Jan Werner, and Susanna Hietanen
Earth Syst. Dynam., 8, 817–826, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-817-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-817-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The deep waters of the Baltic Sea host an expanding
dead zone, where low-oxygen conditions favour the natural production of two strong greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide. Oxygen is introduced into the deeps only during rare
salt pulses. We studied the effects of a recent salt pulse on Baltic greenhouse gas production. We found that where oxygen was introduced, methane was largely removed, while nitrous oxide production increased, indicating strong effects on greenhouse gas dynamics.
Eduardo Eiji Maeda, Xuanlong Ma, Fabien Hubert Wagner, Hyungjun Kim, Taikan Oki, Derek Eamus, and Alfredo Huete
Earth Syst. Dynam., 8, 439–454, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-439-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-439-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The Amazon River basin continuously transfers massive volumes of water from the land surface to the atmosphere, thereby having massive influence on global climate patterns. Nonetheless, the characteristics of ET across the Amazon basin, as well as the relative contribution of the multiple drivers to this process, are still uncertain. This study carries out a water balance approach to analyse seasonal patterns in ET and their relationships with water and energy drivers across the Amazon Basin.
Yujin Zeng, Zhenghui Xie, and Shuang Liu
Earth Syst. Dynam., 8, 113–127, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-113-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-113-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Irrigation constitutes 70 % of human water consumption. In this study, using the improved CLM4.5 with an active crop model, two 1 km simulations investigating the effects of irrigation on latent heat, sensible heat, and carbon fluxes in the Heihe River basin in northwestern China were conducted using a high-quality irrigation dataset compiled from 1981 to 2013. The results revealed the key role of irrigation in the control of land–atmosphere water, energy, and carbon fluxes in semiarid basin.
Rashid Rafique, Jianyang Xia, Oleksandra Hararuk, Ghassem R. Asrar, Guoyong Leng, Yingping Wang, and Yiqi Luo
Earth Syst. Dynam., 7, 649–658, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-649-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-649-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Traceability analysis was used to diagnose the causes of differences in simulating ecosystem carbon storage capacity between two land models: CLMA-CASA and CABLE. Results showed that the simulated ecosystem carbon storage capacity is largely influenced by the photosynthesis parameterization, residence time and organic matter decomposition.
Roman Sitko, Jaroslav Vido, Jaroslav Škvarenina, Viliam Pichler, Ĺubomír Scheer, Jana Škvareninová, and Paulína Nalevanková
Earth Syst. Dynam., 7, 385–395, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-385-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-385-2016, 2016
A. Kessler and J. Tjiputra
Earth Syst. Dynam., 7, 295–312, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-295-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-7-295-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The uncertainty of ocean carbon uptake in ESMs is projected to grow 2-fold by the end of the 21st century. We found that models that take up anomalously low (high) CO2 in the Southern Ocean (SO) today project low (high) cumulative CO2 uptake in the 21st century; thus the SO can be used to constrain future global uptake uncertainty. Inter-model spread in the SO carbon sink arises from variations in the pCO2 seasonality, specifically bias in the simulated timing and amplitude of NPP and SST.
F. Lehner, F. Joos, C. C. Raible, J. Mignot, A. Born, K. M. Keller, and T. F. Stocker
Earth Syst. Dynam., 6, 411–434, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-411-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-411-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
We present the first last-millennium simulation with the Community Earth System Model (CESM) including an interactive carbon cycle in both ocean and land component. Volcanic eruptions emerge as the strongest forcing factor for the preindustrial climate and carbon cycle. We estimate the climate-carbon-cycle feedback in CESM to be at the lower bounds of empirical estimates (1.3ppm/°C). The time of emergence for interannual global land and ocean carbon uptake rates are 1947 and 1877, respectively.
C. Heinze, S. Meyer, N. Goris, L. Anderson, R. Steinfeldt, N. Chang, C. Le Quéré, and D. C. E. Bakker
Earth Syst. Dynam., 6, 327–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-327-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-327-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Rapidly rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations caused by human actions over the past 250 years have raised cause for concern that changes in Earth’s climate system may progress at a much faster pace and larger extent than during the past 20,000 years. Questions that yet need to be answered are what the carbon uptake kinetics of the oceans will be in the future and how the increase in oceanic carbon inventory will affect its ecosystems. Major future ocean carbon research challenges are discussed.
J. D. Edixhoven, J. Gupta, and H. H. G. Savenije
Earth Syst. Dynam., 5, 491–507, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-5-491-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-5-491-2014, 2014
Short summary
Short summary
Phosphate rock is a finite resource required for fertilizer production. Following a debate over the PR depletion timeline, global PR reserves were recently increased 4-fold based mainly on a restatement of Moroccan reserves. We review whether this restatement is methodologically compatible with resource terminology used in major resource classifications, whether resource classification nomenclature is sufficiently understood in the literature, and whether the recent restatements are reliable.
B. Foereid, D. S. Ward, N. Mahowald, E. Paterson, and J. Lehmann
Earth Syst. Dynam., 5, 211–221, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-5-211-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-5-211-2014, 2014
M. Heimann
Earth Syst. Dynam., 5, 41–42, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-5-41-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-5-41-2014, 2014
R. Séférian, L. Bopp, D. Swingedouw, and J. Servonnat
Earth Syst. Dynam., 4, 109–127, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-4-109-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-4-109-2013, 2013
D. Wisser, S. Marchenko, J. Talbot, C. Treat, and S. Frolking
Earth Syst. Dynam., 2, 121–138, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-2-121-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-2-121-2011, 2011
K. Michaelian
Earth Syst. Dynam., 2, 37–51, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-2-37-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-2-37-2011, 2011
Cited articles
Al-Bassam, K., Fernette, G., and Jasinski, S. M.: Phosphate deposits of Iraq,
in: PHOSPHATES 2012, El Jadida, Morocco, 20–23 March, 1–22, 2012.
Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Coalfields Geology Council
of NSW and Queensland Mining Council, available at:
http://www.ausimm.com.au/content/default.aspx?ID=515 (last access:
14 August 2014), 2014.
Belkhadir, A. and Chaoui, M. A.: Phosphates in Morocco, in: Proceedings of
the International Conference “Fertilizer '85”, edited by: More, A. I., The
British Sulphur Corporation Limited, 231–241, 1986.
Brandt, A. R.: Review of mathematical models of future oil supply: historical
overview and synthesizing critique, Energy, 35, 3958–3974, 2010.
Chilés, J.-P. and Delfiner, P.: Geostatistics. Modeling Spatial
Uncertainty, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2012.
Christesen, C.: Critical Assessment of Data on Reserves and Resources of
Phosphate Rock, MSc thesis, Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, BGR,
Hannover, 2014.
Cordell, D., Drangert, J. O., and White, S.: The story of phosphorus: global
food security and food for thought, Global Environ. Chang., 19, 292–305,
2009.
Crowson, P.: Solving the minerals equation? Demand, prices and supply, in:
Life and Innovation Cycles in the Field of Raw Materials Supply and Demand –
a transdisciplinary approach, LE STUDIUM conference, Orlèans, France,
11–12 April 2012, 33 pp., 2012.
David, M.: Geostatistical Ore Reserve Estimation, in: Developments in
Geomathematics 2, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977.
Déry, P. and Anderson, B.: Peak Phosphorus, Energy Bulletin, Post Carbon
Institute, Santa Rosa, CA, available at:
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/33164, retrieved: 22 September 2011,
2007.
Diggle, P. and Ribeiro, P. J.: Model-Based Geostatistics, Springer, Berlin,
2007.
Edixhoven, J. D.: Interactive comment on “Comment on: “Recent revisions of
phosphate rock reserves and resources: a critique” by Edixhoven et
al. (2014) – Phosphate reserves and resources: what conceptions and data do
stakeholders need for sustainable action?” by R. W. Scholz and F.-W.
Wellmer, Earth Syst. Dynam. Discuss., 6, C33–C34, 2015.
Edixhoven, J. D., Gupta, J., and Savenije, H. H. G.: Recent revisions of
phosphate rock reserves and resources: reassuring or misleading? An in-depth
literature review of global estimates of phosphate rock reserves and
resources, Earth Syst. Dynam. Discuss., 4, 1005–1034,
https://doi.org/10.5194/esdd-4-1005-2013, 2013.
Edixhoven, J. D., Gupta, J., and Savenije, H. H. G.: Recent revisions of
phosphate rock reserves and resources: a critique, Earth Syst. Dynam., 5,
491–507, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-5-491-2014, 2014.
EduMine (Ed.): Dictionary of Mining, Mineral and Related Terms, InfoMine,
Vancouver, Canada, 2015.
El Omri, R.: Update on OCP development program, presented at: the CRU
Phosphates, 23–25 March 2015, Tampa, FL, USA, 2015.
Fertilizer International: North Africas phosphates, a fulcrum role Fertilizer
International, 411, 44–50, 2006.
Foerstel, H. N.: Freedom of Information and the Right to Know. The Origins
and Applications of the Freedom of Information Act, Greenwood Press,
Westport, CT, 1999.
Geissler, B. and Steiner, G.: Interactive comment on “Comment on: “Recent
revisions of phosphate rock reserves and resources: a critique” by Edixhoven
et al. (2014) – Phosphate reserves and resources: what conceptions and data
do stakeholders need for sustainable action?” by R. W. Scholz and F.-W.
Wellmer, Earth Syst. Dynam. Discuss., 6, C56–C68, 2015.
Geoscience Australia: Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2013,
Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 2014.
Gert, A.: New Russian Classification – Approximation to the International
Standards, Novosibirsk, Russia, available at:
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/ie/se/pdfs/UNFC/oct07/gert.pdf last
access: 3 October 2013, 2007.
Gharbi, A.: Le Phosphates Marocains. Chronique de la Recherche Miniére,
BRGM, Bureau de Récherches Geólogiques et Minières, Orléans,
France, N531–532, 1998.
Harris, D. P.: Conventional crude oil resources of the United States –
recent estimates, methods for estimation and policy considerations, Mater.
Soc., 1, 263–286, 1977.
Hilton, J.: Interactive comment on “Recent revisions of phosphate rock
reserves and resources: reassuring or misleading? An in-depth literature
review of global estimates of phosphate rock reserves and resources” by
Edixhoven, J. D. et al., Earth Syst. Dynam. Discuss., 4, C686–C686, 2014.
IFA: World phosphate rock flows, losses and uses, composed by: M. Prud'homme,
Paper presented at the British Sulphur Events, Phosphates 2010 International
Conference, 22–24 March 2010, Brussels, Belgium, 22–24 March 2010.
IFDC: Fertilizer Raw Material Resources of Africa, IFDC, Muscle Shoals, AL,
USA, 2006.
IFDC: World phosphate rock reserves and resources, IFDC, Muscle Shoals, AL,
2010.
IFDC: Personal communication of Deborah T. Hellums, Acting Director, Office
of Programs, IFDC, Muscle Shoals, AL, 2015.
Index Mundi: Coal, South African expert price, available at:
http://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=rock-phosphate (last
access: 29 July 2014), 2014.
Index Mundi: Rock phosphate monthly price – US Dollars per metric ton,
available at:
http://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=rock-phosphate (last
access: 5 Septemer 2015), 2015.
Jacobs, J. R.: The precautionary principle as a provisional instrument in
environmental policy: the Montreal Protocol case study, Environ. Sci. Policy,
37, 161–171, 2014.
Jacques, P. J., Dunlap, R. E., and Freeman, M.: The organisation of denial:
conservative think tanks and environmental scepticism, Environ. Polit., 17,
349–385, 2008.
Jasanoff, S.: The Bhopal disaster and the right to know, Soc. Sci. Med., 27,
1113–1123, 1988.
JORC: Australasian code for reporting of exploration results, mineral
resources and or reserves, Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC), Victoria,
Australia, 2012.
Kelly, T. D., Matos, G. R., Buckingham, D. A., DiFrancesco, C. A., and
Porter, K. E.: Historical Statistics for Mineral and Material Commodities in
the United States, US Geological Survey Data Series, 140, available at:
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/historical-statistics/, last
access: 22 October 2014, 2008.
Marjoribanks, R.: Geological Methods in Mineral Exploration and Mining,
Springer, Berlin, 2010.
Matheron, G.: Principles of geostatistics, Econ. Geol., 59, 1246–1266, 1963.
McKelvey, V. E.: Mineral resource estimates and public policy, Am. Sci., 60,
32–40, 1972.
Mew, M.: Future Phosphate Rock Production – Peak or Plateau?, available at:
http://www.fertecon-frc.info/page15.htm, retrieved: 12 June 2012),
4 March 2011.
Mew, M. (Referee): Interactive comment on “Comment on: “Recent revisions of
phosphate rock reserves and resources: a critique” by Edixhoven et
al. (2014) – Phosphate reserves and resources: what conceptions and data do
stakeholders need for sustainable action?” by R. W. Scholz and F.-W.
Wellmer, Earth Syst. Dynam. Discuss., 6, C4–C12, 2015.
Mew, M.: Phosphate rock costs, prices and resources interaction, Sci. Total
Environ., 542(Pt B), 1008–1012, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.045, 2016.
Miller, E. and Gill, D.: Geostatistical ore-reserve estimation of the South
York'am phosphate deposit, Zin Valley, southern Israel, T. I. Min. Metall. A,
95, A1–A7, 1986.
Nothbaum, N., Scholz, R. W., and May, T. W.: Probenplanung und Datenanalyse
bei kontaminierten Böden [Planning the sampling and data analysis of
contaminated soils], Schmidt, Berlin, 1994.
Notholt, A. J. G., Sheldon, R. P., and Davidson, D. F. (Eds.): Phosphate
deposits of the World. Volume 2: Phosphate rock resources, Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1989.
OCP (Office Chérifien des Phosphates): The phosphate basins of Morocco,
in Phosphate deposits of the World. Volume 2: Phosphate rock resources,
edited by: Notholt, A. J. G., Sheldon, R. P., and Davidson, D. F., Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, 301–311, 1989.
OCP (Office Chérifien des Phosphates): New Mines and New Washing Plants,
Casablanca, Morocco, available at:
http://www.ocpgroup.ma/content/new-mines-and-new-washing-plants
(last access: 1 August 2014), 2014.
Rustad, J. R.: Peak nothing: recent trends in mineral resource production,
Environ. Sci. Technol., 46, 1903–1906, 2012.
Savage, C.: World Survey of Phosphate Deposits, British Sulphur Cooperation
Ltd., London, 1987.
Schodde, R. C.: The key drivers behind resource growth: an analysis of the
copper industry over the last 100 years, in: MEMS Conference Mineral and
Metal Markets over the Long Term, Joint Program with the SME Annual Meeting,
Phoenix, USA, 3 March 2010, available at:
http://www.uvm.edu/~shali/Schodde.pdf, last access: 25 November 2014,
2010.
Scholz, R. W.: Environmental literacy in science and society: From knowledge
to Decisions, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011.
Scholz, R. W. and Steiner, G.: Transdisciplinarity at the crossroads,
Sustain. Sci., 10, 521–526, 2015.
Scholz, R. W. and Wellmer, F.-W.: Approaching a dynamic view on the
availability of mineral resources: what we may learn from the case of
phosphorus?, Global Environ. Chang., 23, 11–27, 2013.
Scholz, R. W. and Wellmer, F.-W.: Losses and use efficiencies along the
phosphorus cycle. Part 1: Dilemmata and losses on the mines and other nodes
of the supply chain, Resour. Conserv. Recy., 105, 216–234, 2015.
Scholz, R. W., Nothbaum, N., and May, T. W.: Fixed and hypothesis-guided soil
sampling methods-principles, strategies and examples, in: Sampling of
environmental materials for trace analysis,edited by: Markert, B., VCH
Publisher, New York, NY, Tokio, 335–345, 1994.
Scholz, R. W., Roy, A. H., and Hellums, D. T.: Sustainable phosphorus
management: a transdisciplinary challenge, in: Sustainable Phosphorus
Management: a global transdisciplinary roadmap, edited by: Scholz, R. W.,
Roy, A. H., Brand, F. S., Hellums, D. T., and Ulrich, A. E., Springer,
Berlin, 1–113, 2014a.
Scholz, R. W., Roy, A. H., Brand, F. S., Hellums, D. T., and Ulrich, A. E.
(Eds.): Sustainable Phosphorus Management: A Global Transdisciplinary
Roadmap, Springer, Berlin, 2014b.
Simon, H. A.: A behavioral model of rational choice, Q. J. Econ., 69,
99–118, 1955.
Standard South Africa: Guide to the Systematic Evaluation of Coal Resources
and Coal Reserves, SANS, Pretoria, 2004.
Steiner, G., Geissler, B., Watson, I., and Mew, M.: Efficiency development in
phosphate rock mining over the last three decades, Resour. Conserv. Recy.,
105, 235–245, 2015.
Tilton, J. E.: The Future of Nonfuel Minerals, The Brookings Institution,
Washington, DC, 1977.
UNFC: United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral
Reserves and Resources 2009, United Nations, New York, NY, 2010.
USGS: Mineral Commodity Survey: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2010, US
Geological Survey, Washington, DC, 2010.
USGS: Mineral Commodity Survey: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2014, US
Geological Survey, Washington, DC, 2014.
USGS and USBM: Principles of a resource/reserve classification for minerals,
Geological Survey Circular 831, USGS, Washington, DC, 1980.
USGS and USBM: Sedimentary Phosphate Resource Classification System of the US
Bureau of Mines and the US Geological Survey, USGS Circular 832, USGS and
USBM, Washington DC, USA, 1982.
Vaccari, D. A. and Strigul, N.: Extrapolating phosphorus production to
estimate resource reserves, Chemosphere, 84, 792–797, 2011.
van Kauwenbergh, S. J.: Fertilizer Raw Material Resources of Africa, IFDC,
Muscle Shoals, AL, 2006.
van Kauwenbergh, S. J.: World Phosphate Rock Reserves and Resources, IFDC,
Muscle Shoals, AL, 2010.
van Kauwenbergh, S. J.: Transformative strategies for reducing excess
nutrients in waterways, European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform, Scope
Newsletter 98, 2013.
VFRC: Global Research to Nourish the World. A Blueprint for Food Security,
Virtual Fertilizer Reserach Center, Washington, DC, 2012.
Weber, O., Delince, J., Duan, Y., Maene, L., McDaniels, T., Mew, M.,
Schneidewind U., and Steiner, G.: Trade and finance as cross-cutting issues
in the global phosphate and fertilizer market, in: Sustainable phosphorus
management: a global transdisciplinary roadmap, edited by: Scholz, R. W.,
Roy, A. H., Brand, F. S., Hellums, D. T., and Ulrich, A. E., Berlin:
Springer, 275–294, 2014.
Wellmer, F.-W.: Statistical Evaluations in Exploration for Mineral Deposits,
Springer, Berlin, 1998.
Wellmer, F.-W.: Inauguration speech for the presidentship of the Academy of
Geosciences and Geotechnology, available at:
http://www.geoakademie.de/pdf/Wellmer_2014.pdf (last access:
9 September 2014), 2014.
Wellmer, F.-W. and Becker-Platen, J. D.: Sustainable development and the
exploitation of mineral and energy resources: a review, Int. J. Earth Sci.,
91, 723–745, 2002.
Wellmer, F.-W. and Scholz, R. W.: The right to know the geopotential of
minerals for ensuring food supply security: the case of phosphorus, J.
Industrial Ecology, 19, 3–5, https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12230, 2015.
Short summary
The 2014 USGS data could decrease from 67 Gt phosphate rock (PR) reserves to 58.5 Gt marketable PR (PR-M) if data on PR-ore are transferred to PR-M. The 50 Gt PR-M estimate for Moroccan reserves is reasonable. Geoeconomics suggests that large parts of resources and geopotential become future reserves. As phosphate is essential for food production and reserve data alone are unsufficient for assessing long-run supply security, an international standing committee may assess future PR accessibility.
The 2014 USGS data could decrease from 67 Gt phosphate rock (PR) reserves to 58.5 Gt marketable...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint