Atmospheric CO2 in continental European alternative approach to clean air CO2 data

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Abstract
A 5-year record of continuous atmospheric CO2 concentration data from the Schauinsland mountain top station (48°N, 8°E, 1205 m a.s.1.) is analysed for contributions from different continental sources, e.g., fossil fuels and by the natural biosphere. The fossil fuel contribution is determined from monthly averages of parallel carbon isotope data (14C, (13C)) collected from 1977 to 1984. The observed short-term fluctuations are identified as “local contamination” with help of continuous atmospheric 222Radon data from the same location. The combination of all tracer data, carbon isotopes and 222Radon activity, in addition to CO2 concentration makes it possible to evaluate a CO2 concentration record representative for “continental clean air” not influenced locally by natural and anthropogenic sources. Comparison of the processed record with CO2 data from a marine station (Ocean Weather Station P, 50°N, 145°W) (Wong et al., 1984) shows a significant phase shift at the continental compared to the marine site. This is attributed to the continental biosphere acting as a net sink in early summer (April to June) and as a ner source in autumn and winter (October to January) DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.1987.tb00267.x