What this project investigates: The rates and efficiency of removing carbon dioxide from the air by using accelerated weathering, adding a very common rock – basalt – in the form of rock powder to agricultural fields, and identifying potential practical limitations.
How this will be addressed: By combining field studies, laboratory experiments, and modeling of chemical reactions.
Why it matters: Our ability to accurately track how much carbon dioxide would be removed by accelerated weathering is still in its infancy, and further validation of this approach is needed before it can be deployed at scales necessary to stave off the worst of global warming. The project will help identify best practices to achieve the most cost-effective and efficient ways to remove harmful greenhouse gasses from our atmosphere.
