Direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soil
Enhanced weathering of soil-applied crushed silicate rocks may remove substantial atmospheric carbon dioxide; however, field testing of this negative emission technology is lacking. Models have suggested that enhanced weathering could, in principle, remove billions of tons of CO _2 each year across...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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Series: | Environmental Research Communications |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/acfd89 |
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author | Iris O Holzer Mallika A Nocco Benjamin Z Houlton |
author_facet | Iris O Holzer Mallika A Nocco Benjamin Z Houlton |
author_sort | Iris O Holzer |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Enhanced weathering of soil-applied crushed silicate rocks may remove substantial atmospheric carbon dioxide; however, field testing of this negative emission technology is lacking. Models have suggested that enhanced weathering could, in principle, remove billions of tons of CO _2 each year across global croplands, but methodological limitations have hindered direct measurement of CO _2 sequestration via crushed rock amendments in agriculture. Further questions remain concerning the efficacy of this technology in arid climates. Here we provide direct evidence of rapid CO _2 removal via enhanced weathering in soil pore water samples from a corn ( Zea mays L.) cropping system in California. From December through February, during an extreme drought in our study region, we demonstrate a 2.6 to 2.9-fold increase in in situ bicarbonate alkalinity in response to additions of metabasalt and olivine fines. We provide a field analysis of carbon removal via silicate rock amendments and suggest enhanced weathering can remove carbon dioxide even under moisture-limited conditions. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:40:12Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-d574c43f48cf48759129ed1b808d8d98 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2515-7620 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:40:12Z |
publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
publisher | IOP Publishing |
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series | Environmental Research Communications |
spelling | doaj.art-d574c43f48cf48759129ed1b808d8d982023-10-18T11:21:48ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Communications2515-76202023-01-0151010100410.1088/2515-7620/acfd89Direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soilIris O Holzer0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1293-7808Mallika A Nocco1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6067-8759Benjamin Z Houlton2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1414-0261Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California , Davis, Davis, California, 95616, United States of AmericaDepartment of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California , Davis, Davis, California, 95616, United States of AmericaDepartment of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California , Davis, Davis, California, 95616, United States of America; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Global Development, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York, 14853, United States of AmericaEnhanced weathering of soil-applied crushed silicate rocks may remove substantial atmospheric carbon dioxide; however, field testing of this negative emission technology is lacking. Models have suggested that enhanced weathering could, in principle, remove billions of tons of CO _2 each year across global croplands, but methodological limitations have hindered direct measurement of CO _2 sequestration via crushed rock amendments in agriculture. Further questions remain concerning the efficacy of this technology in arid climates. Here we provide direct evidence of rapid CO _2 removal via enhanced weathering in soil pore water samples from a corn ( Zea mays L.) cropping system in California. From December through February, during an extreme drought in our study region, we demonstrate a 2.6 to 2.9-fold increase in in situ bicarbonate alkalinity in response to additions of metabasalt and olivine fines. We provide a field analysis of carbon removal via silicate rock amendments and suggest enhanced weathering can remove carbon dioxide even under moisture-limited conditions.https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/acfd89carbon dioxide removalterrestrial enhanced weatheringcrushed silicate mineralstension lysimetersdroughtcropland soils |
spellingShingle | Iris O Holzer Mallika A Nocco Benjamin Z Houlton Direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soil Environmental Research Communications carbon dioxide removal terrestrial enhanced weathering crushed silicate minerals tension lysimeters drought cropland soils |
title | Direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soil |
title_full | Direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soil |
title_fullStr | Direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soil |
title_full_unstemmed | Direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soil |
title_short | Direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soil |
title_sort | direct evidence for atmospheric carbon dioxide removal via enhanced weathering in cropland soil |
topic | carbon dioxide removal terrestrial enhanced weathering crushed silicate minerals tension lysimeters drought cropland soils |
url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/acfd89 |
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