Previous attempts to reconstruct the preanthropogenic CO/sub 2/ content of the atmosphere from ..sigma..CO/sub 2/, alkalinity, and CO/sub 2/ partial pressure (pCO/sub 2/) data for the contemporary ocean are evaluated. Also, new attempts based on the more extensive Transient Tracers in the Ocean (TTO) data for the North Atlantic are made. The conclusion is that such quests are quite likely destined to failure in that the uncertainties in the reconstructions will always be larger than the uncertainties ultimately available from other approaches (i.e., ice cores and /sup 13/C record deconvolutions). The difficulty lies in the fact that successful deconvolution requires the solution of a host of basic problems in the ocean sciences. To solve these problems, we must (1) develop satisfactory ocean mixing models; (2) understand the factors controlling pCO/sub 2/ in surface waters (especially those in the winter for high latitudes); (3) determine the chemical composition of material being oxidized at various places and depths in the ocean; and (4) determine the factors controlling the pattern of alkalinity within the sea. We conclude that the value of the ocean data set lies in understanding processes taking place in the sea rather than in reconstructing past atmospheric CO/sub 2/ contents.more » Once the history of atmospheric CO/sub 2/ has been reconstructed from ice core CO/sub 2/ and /sup 13/C deconvolutions, the ocean ..sigma..CO/sub 2/ and pCO/sub 2/ data will become a useful tracer in studies of ocean chemistry and ventilation. 33 references, 32 figures, 10 tables.« less
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Broecker et al. (1985) studied this question.