Substantial carbon drawdown potential from enhanced rock weathering in the United Kingdom

Kantzas, Euripides P.; Martin, Maria Val; Lomas, M.; Eufrasio, Rafael M.; Renforth, Phil; Lewis, Amy L.; Taylor, Lyla L.; Mecure, Jean-Francois; Pollitt, Hector; Vercoulen, Pim; Vakilifard, Negar; Holden, Philip B.; Edwards, Neil R.; Koh, Lenny; Pidgeon, Nick; Banwart, Steven A.; Beerling, David J.

doi:10.1038/s41561-022-00925-2

Cited by 64 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…A potential benefit of increased C content in Si-supplemented wheat plants may be increased C capture and sequestration, particularly if C was transferred to soil C pools ( Beerling et al., 2018 ). This is highly speculative, of course, but a recent assessment suggested that rock weathering using silicate rocks could deliver net atmospheric CO 2 removal of 6–30 Mt CO 2 yr −1 for the UK by 2050 ( Kantzas et al., 2022 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field application of silicon alleviates drought stress and improves water use efficiency in wheat

et al. 2022

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Detrimental impacts of drought on crop yield have tripled in the last 50 years with climate models predicting that the frequency of such droughts will intensify in the future. Silicon (Si) accumulation, especially in Poaceae crops such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), may alleviate the adverse impacts of drought. We have very limited information, however, about whether Si supplementation could alleviate the impacts of drought under field conditions and no studies have specifically manipulated rainfall. Using field–based rain exclusion shelters, we determined whether Si supplementation (equivalent to 39, 78 and 117 kg ha-1) affected T. aestivum growth, elemental chemistry [Si, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N)], physiology (rates of photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency) and yield (grain production) under ambient and drought (50% of ambient) rainfall scenarios. Averaged across Si treatments, drought reduced shoot mass by 21% and grain production by 18%. Si supplementation increased shoot mass by up to 43% and 73% in ambient and drought water treatments, respectively, and restored grain production in droughted plants to levels comparable with plants supplied with ambient rainfall. Si supplementation increased leaf-level water use efficiency by 32–74%, depending on Si supplementation rates. Water supply and Si supplementation did not alter concentrations of C and N, but Si supplementation increased shoot C content by 39% and 83% under ambient and drought conditions, respectively. This equates to an increase from 6.4 to 8.9 tonnes C ha-1 and from 4.03 to 7.35 tonnes C ha-1 under ambient and drought conditions, respectively. We conclude that Si supplementation ameliorated the negative impacts of drought on T. aestivum growth and grain yield, potentially through its beneficial impacts on water use efficiency. Moreover, the beneficial impacts of Si on plant growth and C storage may render Si supplementation a useful tool for both drought mitigation and C sequestration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field application of silicon alleviates drought stress and improves water use efficiency in wheat

et al. 2022

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“…Considering extra CO 2 emission during mining, crushing/grinding, transporting, and spreading of rock powder on land should decrease the overall net CDR efficiency, largely depending on the choice of source rocks and comminution techniques (Renforth 2012; Moosdorf et al 2014; Strefler et al 2018). In any case, further exploration of the kinetics of feedstock dissolution and secondary mineral formation in soil in a reaction‐transport framework (Taylor et al 2016; Beerling et al 2020; Kantzas et al 2022; Kanzaki et al 2022), understanding the impacts of processes in the soil‐to‐river continuum, and better constraints on CO 2 emissions during the large‐scale implementation of ERW will all be critical for the continued development of a holistic picture of ERW as a CDR strategy.…”

Section: Materials and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

River chemistry constraints on the carbon capture potential of surficial enhanced rock weathering

Zhang

Planavsky

Katchinoff

et al. 2022

Limnology & Oceanography

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Technologies and approaches that remove and sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) from Earth's atmosphere are likely to play a significant role in mitigating anthropogenic climate disruption in the coming century. Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) on the land surface is one extensively discussed approach toward carbon dioxide removal (CDR), but the capacity of rivers to carry dissolved products derived from ERW without CO2 re‐release is largely unexplored, hindering a full understanding of the life cycle of ERW and its associated maximum CDR potential. Here, we use a conceptual model built upon river/stream carbonate chemistry to estimate the upper limits on the carbon transport potential (CTP) of rivers and groundwaters. Our model yields a riverine CTP ranging between 0.26–0.89 GtCO2 yr−1 for the United States and 7.1–21.3 GtCO2 yr−1 globally for accelerated silicate weathering, and between 0.090–0.37 GtCO2 yr−1 for the United States and 2.5–8.8 GtCO2 yr−1 globally for accelerated carbonate weathering. Although these limits will be challenging to achieve in practice, our results support the notion that the transport of dissolved constituents in surface waters is unlikely to be a primary bottleneck limiting the CDR potential of ERW. This supports the notion that accelerated mineral weathering should be considered as an additional component of greenhouse gas mitigation portfolios. However, future research on the kinetics of ERW reactions and river responses, along with consideration of possible added CO2 emissions by activities needed to accomplish ERW, are needed for a more realistic quantification of the net CDR via ERW in the land–soil–river system.

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“…An early example of this technology used CaO and Ca(OH) 2 which easily dissolve and increase the bicarbonate concentration in ocean water (Kheshgi, 1995). Most CaO and Ca(OH) 2 are currently produced from Earth abundant limestone (CaCO 3 ) (Kenny and Oates, 2007;Kantzas et al, 2022), but they can also be derived from industrial alkaline wastes such as mine tailings, waste-to-energy ashes, iron and steel slag, and waste concrete (Renforth, 2019;Bui Viet et al, 2020;Gadikota, 2021;Hong et al, 2021;Rim et al, 2021). Since limestone already contains one carbon per calcium, a maximum of only 1 mol of additional CO 2 can be captured by producing bicarbonate solutions from CaCO 3 .…”

Section: Enhanced Carbon Sequestration In the Ocean Via Added Alkalinitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Harvesting, storing, and converting carbon from the ocean to create a new carbon economy: Challenges and opportunities

Vibbert

Park

2022

Front. Energy Res.

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Ever-increasing anthropogenic CO2 emissions have required us to develop carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, and in order to address climate change, these options should be at scale. In addition to engineered systems of CO2 capture from power plants and chemical processes, there are emerging approaches that include the Earth (i.e., air, Earth, and ocean) within its system boundary. Since oceans constitute the largest natural sink of CO2, technologies that can enhance carbon storage in the ocean are highly desired. Here, we discuss alkalinity enhancement and biologically inspired CO2 hydration reactions that can shift the equilibrium of ocean water to pump more carbon into this natural sink. Further, we highlight recent work that can harvest and convert CO2 captured by the ocean into chemicals, fuels, and materials using renewable energy such as off-shore wind. Through these emerging and innovative technologies, organic and inorganic carbon from ocean-based solutions can replace fossil-derived carbon and create a new carbon economy. It is critical to develop these ocean-based CCUS technologies without unintended environmental or ecological consequences, which will create a new engineered carbon cycle that is in harmony with the Earth’s system.

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Substantial carbon drawdown potential from enhanced rock weathering in the United Kingdom

Abstract: Substantial carbon drawdown potential from enhanced rock weathering in the United Kingdom. Nature Geoscience (Early access).For guidance on citations see FAQs.

Cited by 64 publications

References 69 publications

Field application of silicon alleviates drought stress and improves water use efficiency in wheat

Field application of silicon alleviates drought stress and improves water use efficiency in wheat

River chemistry constraints on the carbon capture potential of surficial enhanced rock weathering

Harvesting, storing, and converting carbon from the ocean to create a new carbon economy: Challenges and opportunities

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