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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Ben Kolosz, Professor David ManningORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2019 The Authors Rapid formation of stable soil carbonates offers a potential biologically-mediated strategy for removing atmospheric CO2 and forms a part of the negative emissions debate in a bid to maintain global temperatures of 1.5 °C. Microbial respiration in soil and respiration by plant roots leads to high partial pressure of CO2 below ground. Given adequate supply of calcium in soil solution the sequestration of C into the mineral calcite (CaCO3) can occur at rapid rates. We have coupled an established soil C model RothC to a simplified geochemical model so that this strategy can be explored and assessed by simulation. The combined model CASPER partitions CO2 respired belowground into soil solution as HCO3 − and simulates its reaction with Ca2+ based on a particular dissolution rate for Ca-bearing minerals, with precipitation of calcite into soil pores as a consequence. Typical model output matches observed field rates of calcite accumulation over 5 years, namely 81 t ha−1, with 19 t CO2 ha−1 sequestered into the soil.
Author(s): Kolosz BW, Sohi SP, Manning DAC
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Computers and Geosciences
Year: 2019
Volume: 124
Pages: 58-71
Print publication date: 01/03/2019
Online publication date: 05/01/2019
Acceptance date: 23/12/2018
Date deposited: 11/02/2019
ISSN (print): 0098-3004
ISSN (electronic): 1873-7803
Publisher: Pergamon Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2018.12.012
DOI: 10.1016/j.cageo.2018.12.012
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