Identifying the Most (Cost-)Efficient Regions for CO2 Removal With Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean
International audience Ocean iron fertilization (OIF) aims to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere by stimulating phytoplankton carbon-fixation and subsequent deep ocean carbon sequestration in iron-limited oceanic regions. Transdisciplinary assessments of OIF have revealed overwhelming c...
Published in: | Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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HAL CCSD
2023
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Online Access: | https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/document https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/file/Global%20Biogeochemical%20Cycles%20-%202023%20-%20Bach%20-%20Identifying%20the%20Most%20Cost%E2%80%90%20Efficient%20Regions%20for%20CO2%20Removal%20With%20Iron.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GB007754 |
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Open Polar |
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Université de Bretagne Occidentale: HAL |
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ftunivbrest |
language |
English |
topic |
[SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere |
spellingShingle |
[SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere Bach, Lennart Tamsitt, Veronica Baldry, Kimberlee Mcgee, Jeffrey Laurenceau-Cornec, Emmanuel Strzepek, Robert Xie, Yinghuan Boyd, Philip Identifying the Most (Cost-)Efficient Regions for CO2 Removal With Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean |
topic_facet |
[SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere |
description |
International audience Ocean iron fertilization (OIF) aims to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere by stimulating phytoplankton carbon-fixation and subsequent deep ocean carbon sequestration in iron-limited oceanic regions. Transdisciplinary assessments of OIF have revealed overwhelming challenges around the detection and verification of carbon sequestration and wide-ranging environmental side-effects, thereby dampening enthusiasm for OIF. Here, we utilize five requirements that strongly influence whether OIF can lead to atmospheric CO2 removal (CDR): The requirement (a) to use preformed nutrients from the lower overturning circulation cell; (b) for prevailing iron-limitation; (c) for sufficient underwater light for photosynthesis; (d) for efficient carbon sequestration; (e) for sufficient air-sea CO2 transfer. We systematically evaluate these requirements using observational, experimental, and numerical data in an "informed back-of-the-envelope approach" to generate circumpolar maps of OIF (cost-)efficiency south of 60 degrees S. Results suggest that (cost-)efficient CDR is restricted to locations on the Antarctic Shelf. Here, CDR costs can be <100 US$/tonne CO2 while they are mainly >>1,000 US$/tonne CO2 in offshore regions of the Southern Ocean, where mesoscale OIF experiments have previously been conducted. However, sensitivity analyses underscore that (cost-)efficiency is in all cases associated with large variability and are thus difficult to predict, which reflects our insufficient understanding of the relevant biogeochemical and physical processes. While OIF implementation on Antarctic shelves appears most (cost-)efficient, it raises legal questions because regions close to Antarctica fall under three overlapping layers of international law. Furthermore, the constraints set by (cost-)efficiency reduce the area suitable for OIF, thereby likely reducing its maximum CDR potential. |
author2 |
University of Tasmania Hobart, Australia (UTAS) University of South Florida Tampa (USF) Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR) (LEMAR) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bach, Lennart Tamsitt, Veronica Baldry, Kimberlee Mcgee, Jeffrey Laurenceau-Cornec, Emmanuel Strzepek, Robert Xie, Yinghuan Boyd, Philip |
author_facet |
Bach, Lennart Tamsitt, Veronica Baldry, Kimberlee Mcgee, Jeffrey Laurenceau-Cornec, Emmanuel Strzepek, Robert Xie, Yinghuan Boyd, Philip |
author_sort |
Bach, Lennart |
title |
Identifying the Most (Cost-)Efficient Regions for CO2 Removal With Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean |
title_short |
Identifying the Most (Cost-)Efficient Regions for CO2 Removal With Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean |
title_full |
Identifying the Most (Cost-)Efficient Regions for CO2 Removal With Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Identifying the Most (Cost-)Efficient Regions for CO2 Removal With Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Identifying the Most (Cost-)Efficient Regions for CO2 Removal With Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean |
title_sort |
identifying the most (cost-)efficient regions for co2 removal with iron fertilization in the southern ocean |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/document https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/file/Global%20Biogeochemical%20Cycles%20-%202023%20-%20Bach%20-%20Identifying%20the%20Most%20Cost%E2%80%90%20Efficient%20Regions%20for%20CO2%20Removal%20With%20Iron.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GB007754 |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean |
op_source |
ISSN: 0886-6236 EISSN: 1944-8224 Global Biogeochemical Cycles https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328 Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 2023, 37 (11), ⟨10.1029/2023GB007754⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2023GB007754 hal-04346328 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/document https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/file/Global%20Biogeochemical%20Cycles%20-%202023%20-%20Bach%20-%20Identifying%20the%20Most%20Cost%E2%80%90%20Efficient%20Regions%20for%20CO2%20Removal%20With%20Iron.pdf doi:10.1029/2023GB007754 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GB007754 |
container_title |
Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
container_volume |
37 |
container_issue |
11 |
_version_ |
1790598718149361664 |
spelling |
ftunivbrest:oai:HAL:hal-04346328v1 2024-02-11T09:55:46+01:00 Identifying the Most (Cost-)Efficient Regions for CO2 Removal With Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean Bach, Lennart Tamsitt, Veronica Baldry, Kimberlee Mcgee, Jeffrey Laurenceau-Cornec, Emmanuel Strzepek, Robert Xie, Yinghuan Boyd, Philip University of Tasmania Hobart, Australia (UTAS) University of South Florida Tampa (USF) Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR) (LEMAR) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) 2023 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/document https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/file/Global%20Biogeochemical%20Cycles%20-%202023%20-%20Bach%20-%20Identifying%20the%20Most%20Cost%E2%80%90%20Efficient%20Regions%20for%20CO2%20Removal%20With%20Iron.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GB007754 en eng HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2023GB007754 hal-04346328 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328 https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/document https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328/file/Global%20Biogeochemical%20Cycles%20-%202023%20-%20Bach%20-%20Identifying%20the%20Most%20Cost%E2%80%90%20Efficient%20Regions%20for%20CO2%20Removal%20With%20Iron.pdf doi:10.1029/2023GB007754 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 0886-6236 EISSN: 1944-8224 Global Biogeochemical Cycles https://hal.univ-brest.fr/hal-04346328 Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 2023, 37 (11), ⟨10.1029/2023GB007754⟩ [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean Atmosphere info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2023 ftunivbrest https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GB007754 2024-01-23T23:37:27Z International audience Ocean iron fertilization (OIF) aims to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere by stimulating phytoplankton carbon-fixation and subsequent deep ocean carbon sequestration in iron-limited oceanic regions. Transdisciplinary assessments of OIF have revealed overwhelming challenges around the detection and verification of carbon sequestration and wide-ranging environmental side-effects, thereby dampening enthusiasm for OIF. Here, we utilize five requirements that strongly influence whether OIF can lead to atmospheric CO2 removal (CDR): The requirement (a) to use preformed nutrients from the lower overturning circulation cell; (b) for prevailing iron-limitation; (c) for sufficient underwater light for photosynthesis; (d) for efficient carbon sequestration; (e) for sufficient air-sea CO2 transfer. We systematically evaluate these requirements using observational, experimental, and numerical data in an "informed back-of-the-envelope approach" to generate circumpolar maps of OIF (cost-)efficiency south of 60 degrees S. Results suggest that (cost-)efficient CDR is restricted to locations on the Antarctic Shelf. Here, CDR costs can be <100 US$/tonne CO2 while they are mainly >>1,000 US$/tonne CO2 in offshore regions of the Southern Ocean, where mesoscale OIF experiments have previously been conducted. However, sensitivity analyses underscore that (cost-)efficiency is in all cases associated with large variability and are thus difficult to predict, which reflects our insufficient understanding of the relevant biogeochemical and physical processes. While OIF implementation on Antarctic shelves appears most (cost-)efficient, it raises legal questions because regions close to Antarctica fall under three overlapping layers of international law. Furthermore, the constraints set by (cost-)efficiency reduce the area suitable for OIF, thereby likely reducing its maximum CDR potential. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean Université de Bretagne Occidentale: HAL Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Global Biogeochemical Cycles 37 11 |