Further investigation on the transfer of radiocarbon in nature

This paper extends our previous work (1967) on the transfer of radiocarbon in nature. The box model is expanded to include ten reservoirs instead of the six used previously. The reservoirs are the stratosphere, the troposphere, the biosphere, the mixed layer of the ocean, and the deep ocean in each hemisphere. Using some approximations, we have calculated the various exchange coefficients and have obtained more accurate values within the atmosphere. The exchange time between the stratosphere and troposphere varies with time, and the recent result of 2.0 ± 0.5 years is a better approximation for the first years after the radioactive injection than the previously reported value of 3.5 ± 0.8 years. Using available C14 data from the ocean, we have attempted to calculate the exchange time between the atmosphere and the mixed layer of the ocean. Even though the last calculation is very approximate, there seem to be valid reasons to believe that this exchange time is between 5 and 10 years.