Consider the following activities:
- Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively
- Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime
- Capturing carbon dioxide released by various industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated waters
How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct
- Carbon sequestration is the process of capture and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide. It has been proposed as a way to slow the atmospheric and marine accumulation of greenhouse gases.
- The practice of extensively spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands, referred to as enhanced weathering, entails accelerating the natural process of carbon dioxide capture from the atmosphere. Through this method, the basalt undergoes a reaction with carbon dioxide, leading to the formation of stable carbonates, thereby effectively storing carbon.
Statement 2 is correct
- Ocean alkalinization is an approach to carbon removal that involves adding alkaline substances to seawater to enhance the ocean’s natural carbon sink. These substances could include minerals, such as olivine, or artificial substances, such as lime or some industrial byproducts. Adding alkalinity to the ocean removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through a series of reactions that convert dissolved CO2 into stable bicarbonate and carbonate molecules, which in turn causes the ocean to absorb more CO2 from the air to restore equilibrium.
Statement 3 is correct
- Abandoned subterranean mines can be effectively used as storage sites, where captured carbon dioxide is pumped in as carbonated water.
