Enhanced weathering of (ultra)basic silicate rocks such as olivine-rich
dunite has been proposed as a large-scale climate engineering approach.
When implemented in coastal environments, olivine weathering is expected
to increase seawater alkalinity, thus resulting in additional CO2 uptake from the atmosphere. However, the mechanisms of marine
olivine weathering and its effect on seawater–carbonate chemistry
remain poorly understood. Here, we present results from batch reaction
experiments, in which forsteritic olivine was subjected to rotational
agitation in different seawater media for periods of days to months.
Olivine dissolution caused a significant increase in alkalinity of
the seawater with a consequent DIC increase due to CO2 invasion,
thus confirming viability of the basic concept of enhanced silicate
weathering. However, our experiments also identified several important
challenges with respect to the detailed quantification of the CO2 sequestration efficiency under field conditions, which include
nonstoichiometric dissolution, potential pore water saturation in
the seabed, and the potential occurrence of secondary reactions. Before
enhanced weathering of olivine in coastal environments can be considered
an option for realizing negative CO2 emissions for climate
mitigation purposes, these aspects need further experimental assessment.