Water And Carbon: Carbon Sequestration Flashcards
What is reforestation (N)?
The replanting of trees to trap CO2. Trees need to grow for a long time to be an effective form of Carbon Sequestration
What is mixing ocean layers (N)?
Large vertical pipes pump nutrient-rich water to the surface triggering algal blooms which would trap carbon
What is bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) (H)?
Like CCS but biomass is burned specifically to then be captured and stored underground
What is acid neutralisation (H)?
As carbon dioxide mixes into the oceans, they will gradually become more acidic. This means they can absorb less carbon dioxide as species such as phytoplankton will cease to exist. Adding limestone to the oceans could neutralise the sea water and increase absorption again
What is peat bog restoration (N)?
They hold dead plant and mosses which stores masses of carbon
What is carbon capture and storage (CCS) (H)?
Extracts carbon from the atmosphere or waste pipes of power plants. The waste carbon is pumped underground into an unused space
What is biochar (H)?
Charcoal is made and then added to the soil to increase its fertility and agricultural productivity, as well as trapping carbon into the soil
What are subterranean injections (H)?
Carbon dioxide can be injected into depleted oil and gas reserves or into the ocean
What is deep basalt storage (H)?
Mixing carbon dioxide with basalt deep in the oceans would create carbonate and hydrate minerals which are more dense and would settle on the sea bed
What is Iron and Urea fertilisation (N)?
Iron: The deposition of iron-rich dust into the oceans, this encourages phytoplankton growth which removes carbon from the atmosphere.
Urea: Fertilising the oceans with urea (a nitrogen-rich substance) could also encourage plankton growth - this has been planned off the west coast of Australia
How is agriculture used as a method of carbon sequestration (N)?
Reduce the use of machinery and chemical fertilisers, plant grasses and weeds between crop planting seasons, avoid overgrazing, cover bare paddocks with hay or dead vegetation, allow degraded land to recover
What is wetland restoration (N)?
Wetlands are areas of land saturated with water, e.g swamps, marshes, mangroves. 14.5% of the world’s soil carbon is found in wetland areas. Only 6% of the world’s land is composed of wetlands
What is carbon sequestration?
The process of capture and long-tern storage of atmospheric CO2. This mitigates (slows) or stops global warming and reduces climate change caused by burning fossil fuels and forests
