(Introduction)
(Method)
(Result)
(Discussion)
References

Table 3 The oceanic residence time of phosphorus

	Phosphorus burial (1010 mol yr-1)	tr(*1) (yr)
Modified estimates
maximum end-member*2	18.5	16,000
minimum end-member*3	8.0	38,000
Previous estimate*4	3.8	80,000
*1 Residence times are calculated for two burial flux values corresponding to the maximum and minimum estimated total flux of reactive-P to marine sediments. (oceanic residence time) = tr = (moles P in ocean)/(flux of P out of the ocean in moles yr-1) = (3×1015 moles P)/(flux of P to sediments in moles yr-1). *2 The maximum end-member burial flux estimate, calculated as described in note *2 of Table 2, is defined as a maximum for two reasons: (1) anthropogenic effects will tend to enhance flux estimates due to pollutive-P input and enhanced erosion; and (2) it is unclear whether all Fe-P and authigenic-P is truly reactive phosphorus; some may have its origin in rivers and would therefore be classified as detrital phosphorus. *3 Those reservoirs included in the minimum estimate of reactive-P (denoted in parentheses in Table 2) are defined in note *3 of Table 2. *4 Froelich et al.(1982).