Olivine Dissolution in Seawater: Implications for CO₂ Sequestration through Enhanced Weathering in Coastal Environments.

ABSTRACT: 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

SUBMITTER: Montserrat F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5382570 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature