The relevance of pelagic calcification in the global carbon budget of lakes and reservoirs

Abstract

Calcite precipitation acts as a carbon sink in the sediments and a short-term source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, as widely acknowledged in marine studies. However, pelagic calcite precipitation has received limited attention in lakes. Here we use the relationship between lake water alkalinity and reported calcification rates to provide the first global estimate of pelagic calcification in lakes. Global gross calcification rates amount to 0.03 Pg C yr-1 (0.01 – 0.07) comparable to rates of organic carbon burial, whereas its related CO2 release is largely buffered by the carbonate equilibria. Calcification occurs at water alkalinity above 1 meq/L corresponding to 57 % of global lake and reservoir surface area. Pelagic calcification therefore is a prevalent process in lakes and reservoirs at the global scale, with a potentially relevant role as a sedimentary inorganic carbon sink, comparable in magnitude to the total calcite accumulation rates in ocean sediments.