Carbon Dioxide Efficiency of Terrestrial Enhanced Weathering
Abstract
Terrestrial enhanced weathering, the spreading of ultramafic silicate rock flour to enhance natural weathering rates, has been suggested as part of a strategy to reduce global atmospheric CO2 levels. We budget potential CO2 sequestration against associated CO2 emissions to assess the net CO2 removal of terrestrial enhanced weathering. We combine global spatial data sets of potential source rocks, transport networks, and application areas with associated CO2 emissions in optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. The results show that the choice of source rocks and material comminution technique dominate the CO2 efficiency of enhanced weathering. CO2 emissions from transport amount to on average 0.5-3% of potentially sequestered CO2. The emissions of material mining and application are negligible. After accounting for all emissions, 0.5-1.0 t CO2 can be sequestered on average per tonne of rock, translating into a unit cost from 1.6 to 9.9 GJ per tonne CO2 sequestered by enhanced weathering. However, to control or reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations substantially with enhanced weathering would require very large amounts of rock. Before enhanced weathering could be applied on large scales, more research is needed to assess weathering rates, potential side effects, social acceptability, and mechanisms of governance.
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Rock grinding to reduce particle size and maximise CDR is the primary energy consuming operation in ERW.
“Rock grinding to reduce particle size and maximise CDR is the primary energy consuming operation in ERW 22,23,73 .”
From Potential for large-scale CO2 removal via enhanced rock weathering with croplands (2020) · cites this paper as [73]
Our approach improves on prior analyses that assumed a fixed radius between rock dust source and site of application.
“Our approach improves on prior analyses, which assumed a fixed radius between rock dust source and site of application 73 .”
From Potential for large-scale CO2 removal via enhanced rock weathering with croplands (2020) · cites this paper as [73]
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- Authors
- Moosdorf, N., Renforth, P., & Hartmann, J.
- Affiliations
- Universität Hamburg (DE)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Moosdorf, Nils
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2014-04-08
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 4809-4816
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- OpenAlex
- W2018921467
- Cited by
- 207
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 23 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 5.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
- Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) (acceptedVersion)
- Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Geoengineering
- Keywords
- CO2 sequestration, carbon dioxide removal, ultramafic rocks, transport emissions, geoengineering, atmospheric CO2 reduction
- MeSH terms
- Carbon Dioxide, Weather, Silicates
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