Suess effect

The Suess effect is a change in the ratio of the atmospheric concentrations of heavy isotopes of carbon (C and C) by the admixture of large amounts of fossil-fuel derived CO₂, which is depleted in CO₂ and contains no CO₂. It is named for the Austrian chemist Hans Suess, who noted the influence of this effect on the accuracy of radiocarbon dating. More recently, the Suess effect has been used in studies of climate change. The term originally referred only to dilution of atmospheric CO₂. The concept was later extended to dilution of CO₂ and to other reservoirs of carbon such as the oceans and soils.