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Cited by 274Marine and coastal ecosystemsGeology and Paleoclimatology ResearchCO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions

Dynamics of fossil fuel CO 2 neutralization by marine CaCO 3

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Archer, David, Kheshgi, Haroon, Maier‐Reimer, Ernst·1998·Global Biogeochemical Cycles
DOI 10.1029/98gb00744
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Abstract

A detailed model of the ocean circulation and carbon cycle was coupled to a mechanistic model of CaCO 3 diagenesis in deep sea sediments to simulate the millennium‐scale response of the oceans to future fossil fuel CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere and deep sea. Simulations of deep sea injection of CO 2 show that CaCO 3 dissolution is sensitive to passage of high‐CO 2 waters through the Atlantic Ocean, but CaCO 3 dissolution has a negligible impact on atmospheric p CO 2 or the atmospheric stabilization CO 2 emission in the coming centuries. The ultimate fate of the fossil fuel CO 2 will be to react with CaCO 3 on the seafloor and on land. An initial CaCO 3 dissolution spike reverses the net sedimentation rate in the ocean until it is attenuated by an enhanced vertical gradient of alkalinity after about 1000 years. The magnitude of the initial spike is sensitive to assumptions about the kinetics for CaCO 3 dissolution, but subsequent behavior appears to be less model dependent. Neutralization by seafloor CaCO 3 occurs on a timescale of 5–6 kyr, and is limited to at most 60–70% of the fossil fuel release, even if the fossil fuel release is smaller than the seafloor erodible inventory of CaCO 3 . Additional neutralization by terrestrial CaCO 3 restores a balance between CaCO 3 weathering and seafloor accumulation on a timescale of 8.5 kyr, while the deficit of seafloor CaCO 3 (the lysocline) is replenished with an e ‐folding timescale of approximately 18 kyr. The final equilibrium with CaCO 3 leaves 7–8% of the fossil fuel CO 2 remaining in the atmosphere, to be neutralized by the silicate rock cycle on a time frame of hundreds of thousands of years.

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  • Previous analysis of the role of deep-sea sediments in the long-term fate of fossil fuel CO2 employed off-line tracer-transport marine carbon cycle models in which the ocean circulation was prescribed.

    “Previous analysis of the role of deep-sea sediments in the long-term fate of fossil fuel CO 2 employed off-line tracer-transport marine carbon cycle models in which the ocean circulation was prescribed [e.g., Archer et al., 1997Archer et al., , 1998;;Sundquist, 1990].”

    From Regulation of atmospheric CO <sub>2</sub> by deep‐sea sediments in an Earth system model (2007) · cites this paper as Archer et al., 1998

    The Model Description (page unavailable) says the authors coupled an ocean-circulation and water-column chemistry model to a deep-sea sediment model, supporting the citation as an example of the stated research. It does not specify that the model was off-line or that ocean circulation was prescribed; searches for those terms did not establish that methodological detail. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • The response of atmospheric CO2 to ocean-sediment interaction comprises contributions from two mechanisms: dissolution of previously deposited carbonates (seafloor CaCO3 neutralization) and imbalance between weathering and sedimentation (terrestrial CaCO3 neutralization).

    “The response of atmospheric CO 2 to ocean-sediment interaction actually comprises contributions from two different mechanisms: (1) the dissolution of carbonates previously deposited to the sediments (seafloor CaCO 3 neutralization) and (2) imbalance between weathering and sedimentation (terrestrial CaCO 3 neutralization) [Archer et al., 1997[Archer et al., , 1998]].”

    From Regulation of atmospheric CO <sub>2</sub> by deep‐sea sediments in an Earth system model (2007) · cites this paper as Archer et al., 1998

  • The estimated 8.3 ka timescale is near identical to previous 3-D ocean-based model analyses (8.2-8.5 ka) and consistent with the 6300-11,800 year secondary alkalinity response of Sundquist [1990].

    “Our estimated timescale of 8.3 ka (Figure 7c) is near identical to previous 3-D ocean-based model analyses (8.2À8.5 ka [Archer et al., 1997[Archer et al., , 1998]]) and consistent with the 6300À11,800 year ''secondary alkalinity response'' of Sundquist [1990].”

    From Regulation of atmospheric CO <sub>2</sub> by deep‐sea sediments in an Earth system model (2007) · cites this paper as Archer et al., 1998

  • The estimated 1.7 ka timescale for seafloor CaCO3 neutralization is consistent with a 1500-2700 year timescale estimated for a primary alkalinity response in box models, but about 3 times shorter than the 5-6 ka estimated by Archer et al. [1997, 1998].

    “This is consistent with a 1500-to 2700-year timescale estimated for a primary alkalinity response in box models [Sundquist, 1990], but about 3 times shorter than the 5À6 ka estimated by Archer et al. [1997Archer et al. [ , 1998]].”

    From Regulation of atmospheric CO <sub>2</sub> by deep‐sea sediments in an Earth system model (2007) · cites this paper as Archer et al., 1998

  • Because the GENIE-1 model contains a climate component, the authors are able to extend previous analysis by explicitly assessing the impact of major feedbacks between CO2 and climate on carbonate compensation.

    “Because the GENIE-1 model contains a climate component we are able to extend the analysis made in formative earlier studies [e.g., Archer et al. , 1997Archer et al. , , 1998;;Sundquist, 1990] by now explicitly assessing the impact of major feedbacks between CO 2 and climate on carbonate compensation.”

    From Regulation of atmospheric CO <sub>2</sub> by deep‐sea sediments in an Earth system model (2007) · cites this paper as Archer et al., 1998

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Archer, D. E., The dissolution of calcite in deep sea sediments: An in situ microelectrode study, Ph.D. thesis, Univ. Wash., Seattle, 1990.
  2. Broecker, W. S., and T. Takahashi, Neutralization of fossil fuel CO 2 by marine calcium carbonate, in The Fate of Fossil Fuel CO 2 in the Hales, B., Calcite dissolution on the seafloor: An in situ study, Ph.D. thesis Univ. Wash., Seattle, 1995.
  3. Haugan, P.M., and H. Drange, Disposal options in view of ocean circulation, in Direct Ocean Disposal of Carbon Dioxide, edited by N. Handa and T. Ohsumi, pp. 123-141, Terra Sci., Tokyo, 1995.
  4. Houghton, J. T., G. J. Jenkins, and J. J. Ephraums (Eds.), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: The IPCC Scientific Assessment, Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, 1990.
  5. Houghton, J. T., B. A. Callander, and S. K. Varney (Eds.), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Climate Change 1992.' The Supplimentary Report to the IPCC Scientific Assessment, Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, 1992.
  6. Houghton, J. T., L. G. Meiro Filho, B. A. Callendar, N. Harris, A. Kattenburg, and K. Maskell (Eds.), The IPCC Second Scientific Assessment Report, 572 pp., Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, 1996.
  7. Marland, G., R. J. Andres, and T. A. Boden, Global, regional, and national CO 2 emissions, in Trends 93: A Compendium of Data on Global Change, edited by T. A. Boden et al., Rep. ORNL/CDIAC-65, pp. 505-584, Oak Ridge Nat. Lab., Oak Ridge, Tenn., 1993.
  8. Panel on Policy Implications of Greenhouse Warming (National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine), Policy Implications of Greenhouse Warming: Mitigation, Adaptation, and the Science Base, Nat. Acad. Press, Washington, D.C., 1992.
  9. Sundquist, E. T., Long-term aspects of future atmospheric CO 2 and sea- level changes, in Sea-Level Change, edited by R. Revelle, pp. 193- 207, Nat. Acad. Press, Washington, D.C., 1990b.

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Authors
Archer, D., Kheshgi, H., & Maier‐Reimer, E.
Affiliations
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • ExxonMobil (United States) (US)
  • Max Planck Society (DE)
ORCID
Venue
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Published
1998-06
Volume
12
Issue
2
Pages
259-276
ISSN
  • 0886-6236 (ISSN-L)
  • 1944-9224
DOI
10.1029/98gb00744
OpenAlex
W1886989356
Cited by
274
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 11
FWCI
3.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Global Biogeochemical Cycles (publishedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
Keywords
fossil fuel CO2 emissions, ocean carbon cycle, ocean circulation models, deep-sea sediments, lysocline, CO2 sequestration, ocean acidification, Atlantic Ocean

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