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| Titel |
The geoengineering potential of artificially enhanced silicate weathering of olivine |
| VerfasserIn |
Peter Köhler, Jens Hartmann, Dieter A. Wolf-Gladrow |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2010
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 12 (2010) |
| Datensatznummer |
250037723
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Geoengineering is a proposed action to manipulate Earth’s climate in order to counteract
global warming from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. We investigate in more detail
the potential of a specific geoengineering technique, the carbon sequestration by artificially
enhanced silicate weathering via the dissolution of olivine. This approach would not
only operate against rising temperatures but would also oppose ocean acidification,
because it influences the global climate via the carbon cycle. We here show the
consequences of this technique for the chemistry of the surface ocean at rates necessary for
geoengineering. We calculate that olivine dissolution has the potential to sequestrate up to
one Pg C yr-1 directly, if olivine is distributed as fine powder over land areas of
the humid tropics. The carbon sequestration potential is limited by the saturation
concentration of silicic acid. In our calculations for the Amazon and Congo river
catchments a maximum annual dissolution of 1.8 and 0.4 Pg of olivine seems possible,
corresponding to the sequestration of 0.5 and 0.1 Pg C yr-1. Open water dissolution of fine
grained olivine and an enhancement of the biological pump by the rising riverine
input of silicic acid might increase our estimate of the carbon sequestration, but
additional research is needed here. We finally calculate with a carbon cycle model the
consequences of sequestration rates of 1 to 5 Pg C yr-1 for the 21st century by this
technique. At maximum this technique would reduce global warming by 1 K and
counteract ocean acidification by a rise in surface ocean pH by 0.1 in the year 2100. |
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