Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification
© 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Chemical breakdown of rocks, weathering, is an important but very slow part of the carbon cycle that ultimately leads to CO2being locked up in carbonates on the ocean floor. Artificial acceleration of this carbon sink via distribution of pulv...
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ftcdlib:qt3hw1h419 2023-05-15T17:50:00+02:00 Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification Taylor, LL Quirk, J Thorley, RMS Kharecha, PA Hansen, J Ridgwell, A Lomas, MR Banwart, SA Beerling, DJ 402 - 406 2016-04-01 application/pdf http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3hw1h419 english eng eScholarship, University of California qt3hw1h419 http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3hw1h419 public Taylor, LL; Quirk, J; Thorley, RMS; Kharecha, PA; Hansen, J; Ridgwell, A; et al.(2016). Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification. Nature Climate Change, 6(4), 402 - 406. doi:10.1038/nclimate2882. UC Riverside: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3hw1h419 article 2016 ftcdlib https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2882 2018-07-13T22:56:25Z © 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Chemical breakdown of rocks, weathering, is an important but very slow part of the carbon cycle that ultimately leads to CO2being locked up in carbonates on the ocean floor. Artificial acceleration of this carbon sink via distribution of pulverized silicate rocks across terrestrial landscapes may help offset anthropogenic CO2emissions. We show that idealized enhanced weathering scenarios over less than a third of tropical land could cause significant drawdown of atmospheric CO2and ameliorate ocean acidification by 2100. Global carbon cycle modelling driven by ensemble Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) projections of twenty-first-century climate change (RCP8.5, business-as-usual; RCP4.5, medium-level mitigation) indicates that enhanced weathering could lower atmospheric CO2by 30-300 ppm by 2100, depending mainly on silicate rock application rate (1 kg or 5 kg m-2yr-1) and composition. At the higher application rate, end-of-century ocean acidification is reversed under RCP4.5 and reduced by about two-thirds under RCP8.5. Additionally, surface ocean aragonite saturation state, a key control on coral calcification rates, is maintained above 3.5 throughout the low latitudes, thereby helping maintain the viability of tropical coral reef ecosystems. However, we highlight major issues of cost, social acceptability, and potential unanticipated consequences that will limit utilization and emphasize the need for urgent efforts to phase down fossil fuel emissions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ocean acidification University of California: eScholarship Nature Climate Change 6 4 402 406 |
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English |
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© 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Chemical breakdown of rocks, weathering, is an important but very slow part of the carbon cycle that ultimately leads to CO2being locked up in carbonates on the ocean floor. Artificial acceleration of this carbon sink via distribution of pulverized silicate rocks across terrestrial landscapes may help offset anthropogenic CO2emissions. We show that idealized enhanced weathering scenarios over less than a third of tropical land could cause significant drawdown of atmospheric CO2and ameliorate ocean acidification by 2100. Global carbon cycle modelling driven by ensemble Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) projections of twenty-first-century climate change (RCP8.5, business-as-usual; RCP4.5, medium-level mitigation) indicates that enhanced weathering could lower atmospheric CO2by 30-300 ppm by 2100, depending mainly on silicate rock application rate (1 kg or 5 kg m-2yr-1) and composition. At the higher application rate, end-of-century ocean acidification is reversed under RCP4.5 and reduced by about two-thirds under RCP8.5. Additionally, surface ocean aragonite saturation state, a key control on coral calcification rates, is maintained above 3.5 throughout the low latitudes, thereby helping maintain the viability of tropical coral reef ecosystems. However, we highlight major issues of cost, social acceptability, and potential unanticipated consequences that will limit utilization and emphasize the need for urgent efforts to phase down fossil fuel emissions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Taylor, LL Quirk, J Thorley, RMS Kharecha, PA Hansen, J Ridgwell, A Lomas, MR Banwart, SA Beerling, DJ |
spellingShingle |
Taylor, LL Quirk, J Thorley, RMS Kharecha, PA Hansen, J Ridgwell, A Lomas, MR Banwart, SA Beerling, DJ Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification |
author_facet |
Taylor, LL Quirk, J Thorley, RMS Kharecha, PA Hansen, J Ridgwell, A Lomas, MR Banwart, SA Beerling, DJ |
author_sort |
Taylor, LL |
title |
Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification |
title_short |
Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification |
title_full |
Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification |
title_fullStr |
Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification |
title_full_unstemmed |
Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification |
title_sort |
enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3hw1h419 |
op_coverage |
402 - 406 |
genre |
Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Ocean acidification |
op_source |
Taylor, LL; Quirk, J; Thorley, RMS; Kharecha, PA; Hansen, J; Ridgwell, A; et al.(2016). Enhanced weathering strategies for stabilizing climate and averting ocean acidification. Nature Climate Change, 6(4), 402 - 406. doi:10.1038/nclimate2882. UC Riverside: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3hw1h419 |
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qt3hw1h419 http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/3hw1h419 |
op_rights |
public |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2882 |
container_title |
Nature Climate Change |
container_volume |
6 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
402 |
op_container_end_page |
406 |
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1766156565902000128 |