Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization
In order to meet the goal of limiting global average temperature increase to less than 2 °C, it is increasingly apparent that negative emissions technologies of up to 10 Pg C yr ^−1 will be needed before the end of the century. Recent research indicates that fertilization of the ocean with the macro...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa5ef5 |
| _version_ | 1827870994823380992 |
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| author | Daniel P Harrison |
| author_facet | Daniel P Harrison |
| author_sort | Daniel P Harrison |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In order to meet the goal of limiting global average temperature increase to less than 2 °C, it is increasingly apparent that negative emissions technologies of up to 10 Pg C yr ^−1 will be needed before the end of the century. Recent research indicates that fertilization of the ocean with the macronutrients nitrogen and phosphorus where they limit primary production, may have sequestration advantages over fertilizing iron limited regions. Utilizing global datasets of oceanographic field measurements, and output from a high resolution global circulation model, the current study provides the first comprehensive assessment of the global potential for carbon sequestration from ocean macronutrient fertilization (OMF). Sufficient excess phosphate exists outside the iron limited surface ocean to support once-off sequestration of up to 3.6 Pg C by fertilization with nitrogen. Ongoing maximum capacity of nitrogen only fertilization is estimated at 0.7 ± 0.4 Pg C yr ^−1 . Sequestration capacity is expected to decrease from the upper toward the lower bound over time under continued intense fertilization. If N and P were used in combination the capacity is ultimately limited by societies willingness to utilize phosphate resources. Doubling current phosphate production would allow an additional 0.9 Pg C yr ^−1 and consume 0.07% yr ^−1 of known global resources. Therefore offsetting up to around 15% (1.5 Pg C yr ^−1 ) of annual global CO _2 emissions is assessed as being technically plausible. Environmental risks which to date have received little quantitative evaluation, could also limit the scale of implementation. These results reinforce the need to consider a multi-faceted approach to greenhouse gasses, including a reduction in emissions coupled with further research into negative emissions technologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:03:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-82a233d9065c42d785eab20422fbdde7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:03:42Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-82a233d9065c42d785eab20422fbdde72023-08-09T14:30:34ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262017-01-0112303500110.1088/1748-9326/aa5ef5Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilizationDaniel P Harrison0University of Sydney Marine Studies Institute, School of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, F09, University of Sydney , NSW, 2006, Australia; Sydney Institute of Marine Science , 19 Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, NSW, 2088, AustraliaIn order to meet the goal of limiting global average temperature increase to less than 2 °C, it is increasingly apparent that negative emissions technologies of up to 10 Pg C yr ^−1 will be needed before the end of the century. Recent research indicates that fertilization of the ocean with the macronutrients nitrogen and phosphorus where they limit primary production, may have sequestration advantages over fertilizing iron limited regions. Utilizing global datasets of oceanographic field measurements, and output from a high resolution global circulation model, the current study provides the first comprehensive assessment of the global potential for carbon sequestration from ocean macronutrient fertilization (OMF). Sufficient excess phosphate exists outside the iron limited surface ocean to support once-off sequestration of up to 3.6 Pg C by fertilization with nitrogen. Ongoing maximum capacity of nitrogen only fertilization is estimated at 0.7 ± 0.4 Pg C yr ^−1 . Sequestration capacity is expected to decrease from the upper toward the lower bound over time under continued intense fertilization. If N and P were used in combination the capacity is ultimately limited by societies willingness to utilize phosphate resources. Doubling current phosphate production would allow an additional 0.9 Pg C yr ^−1 and consume 0.07% yr ^−1 of known global resources. Therefore offsetting up to around 15% (1.5 Pg C yr ^−1 ) of annual global CO _2 emissions is assessed as being technically plausible. Environmental risks which to date have received little quantitative evaluation, could also limit the scale of implementation. These results reinforce the need to consider a multi-faceted approach to greenhouse gasses, including a reduction in emissions coupled with further research into negative emissions technologies.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa5ef5ocean fertilizationnegative emissionscarbon dioxide removalgeoengineeringocean macronutrient fertilizationcarbon sequestration |
| spellingShingle | Daniel P Harrison Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization Environmental Research Letters ocean fertilization negative emissions carbon dioxide removal geoengineering ocean macronutrient fertilization carbon sequestration |
| title | Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization |
| title_full | Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization |
| title_fullStr | Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization |
| title_short | Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization |
| title_sort | global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization |
| topic | ocean fertilization negative emissions carbon dioxide removal geoengineering ocean macronutrient fertilization carbon sequestration |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa5ef5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT danielpharrison globalnegativeemissionscapacityofoceanmacronutrientfertilization |