A SURVEY OF THE C-14 CONTENT OF DISSOLVED INORGANIC CARBON IN CHINESE LAKES

We present radiocarbon (C-14) measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from surface waters of 11 lakes, widely distributed in China. Surface lake water DIC (FC)-C-14 values show distinct differences, and we relate these to the physical exchange character ("open" or "closed") of each lake. Open lakes studied here generally have lower DIC (FC)-C-14 values than closed lakes. We present a simple model of a lake water cycle to calculate an average residence time for each lake. Comparisons between lake DIC (FC)-C-14 and average residence time shows that the DIC (FC)-C-14 increases with the average residence time and reflects a steady-state.