Overview
Contact: Veerle Cnudde
- Active removal of CO2 from the atmosphere is crucial to limit global warming to 1.5-2.0°C by the end of this century (Paris Agreement). Enhanced Silicate Weathering (ESW) in coastal zones is one of the proposed Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) to achieve these goals. ESW using Mg-rich mineral olivine [(Mg,Fe)2SiO4] is a promising approach due to its high abundance, fast dissolution, and ability to release divalent cations.
Applications
- Enhancing atmospheric CO2 dissolution in seawater.
- Understanding mineral dissolution and secondary phase formation at the micro and nanoscale.
- Feasibility studies for applying coastal ESW in environmental geology, hydrogeology, and CO2 sequestration strategies.
Coastal enhanced silicated weathering for CO2 removal
FIGURE: Secondary electron (SE) image showing an olivine grain after reacting in a large scale realistic experimental set up developed for enhanced silicate weathering in the coastal zone. Dissolution occurs on the olivine grain surface via forming lenticular etch pits and steps that peels off the surface layers.
See also: https://www.coastal-carbon.eu/