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1998 New Zealand Mathematics Colloquium
July 6-9, 1998
Victoria University of Wellington
Wellington, New Zealand

Organizers
Peter Donelan, Chris Atkin, John Harper, Philip Rhodes-Robinson, Jim Neyland, Geoff Whittle, Steve White, Vladimir Pestov, Tom Crosby

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'Bomb' 14C and its use in modelling soil C in New Zealand
by
Aroon Parshotam
Landcare Research
Coauthors: Kevin Tate, Surinder Saggar, Roger Parfitt

Thermonuclear 'bomb' 14C can serve as a pollution-induced tracer for the depth penetration, migration and turnover of organic matter in soils. Thus, measurement of bomb 14C in soils potentially allows soil carbon (C) movement and turnover to be modelled and climate change, land-use change and CO2 fertilisation effects to be assessed. We assess here a simple model of soil C turnover where soil C inputs, turnover times and downward diffusivity are estimated in a soil profile from soil 14C measurements. An extension of this model is described and analytical solutions are derived for the model equations. A recent compilation of 14C in New Zealand soils provides the opportunity to test the model in different soils, and to examine the distribution of 'old' C in soil profiles.

Date received: June 4, 1998

Copyright © 1998 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # cabd-29.