Enhanced weathering (EW) leverages natural silicate mineral dissolution to capture atmospheric CO2, with potential to sequester up to 2 gigatons of CO2 annually by 2050. Recent studies have demonstrated that applying finely ground basalt to agricultural fields can increase carbon capture by 30-50% compared to untreated soils. This process also enhances soil fertility by releasing essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium.
The scalability of EW depends on optimizing mineral application rates and particle sizes. For instance, particles smaller than 10 micrometers dissolve up to 10 times faster than larger grains, but their production increases energy costs by ~15%. Field trials in the U.S. Midwest have shown that applying 10 tons of basalt per hectare can sequester ~0.5 tons of CO2 annually over a decade.
Environmental trade-offs include the energy-intensive mining and grinding of silicate rocks, which can emit up to 100 kg of CO2 per ton of rock processed. However, life cycle assessments suggest that EW can achieve a net carbon removal efficiency of ~80% when powered by renewable energy.
Emerging research explores coupling EW with bioenergy crops, which could amplify carbon sequestration by an additional 20-30%. For example, miscanthus grown on basalt-amended soils has shown a 25% increase in biomass yield while doubling CO2 capture rates compared to control plots.
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