Can enhanced alkalinity store carbon durably?
Une alcalinité accrue peut-elle stocker le carbone de manière durable ?
Isson, Terry ; West, A. Joshua
Année de publication
2026
Oceans have absorbed about 30% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions. However, this natural carbon storage mitigates climate change at the cost of ocean acidification and ecosystem degradation. Alkalinity enhancement approaches such as enhanced rock weathering?a strategy in which cation-bearing materials (silicates and carbonates) are applied to land or water?can counteract ocean acidification and increase CO<sub>2</sub> storage capacity of the hydrosphere. These alkaline substances react with water, dissolving to release associated cations and alkalinity, promoting conversion of CO<sub>2</sub> into dissolved inorganic carbon that can contribute to long-term ocean storage. However, the effectiveness of such interventions depends on whether dissolved carbon is retained in solution onsite, during transport and downstream, and on how it interacts with natural carbon cycling processes across the land-to-sea pathway. Assessing these processes will determine the success or failure of alkalinity enhancement as a climate change mitigation strategy.</div>
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