The Dissolution of Olivine Added to Soil at 4°C: Implications for Enhanced Weathering in Cold Regions

Philip A. E. Pogge von Strandmann*, Chloe Tooley, Josephina J. P. A. Mulders, Phil Renforth

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)
54 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Crushed olivine was added to a soil core to mimic enhanced weathering, and water was continually dripped through for ~6 months. Our experiments were conducted at 4°C, and are compared to previously run identical experiments at 19°C. Olivine dissolution rates in both experiments start out similar, likely due to fines and sharp crystal corners. However, after >100 days of reaction, the dissolution rate at 4°C was two orders of magnitude lower than at 19°C. The accumulation of heavy metals, such as Ni and Cd, was low in both experiments, but soil retention of these elements was proportionally higher at higher temperatures, likely due to enhanced sorption and formation of clays. Overall, this study suggests that olivine dissolution rates in experiments that mimic natural settings are orders of magnitude slower than in normal laboratory experiments, and that enhanced weathering may be a considerably less efficient method of carbon dioxide removal at low climatic temperatures. Both of these conclusions have implications for the application of enhanced weathering as a CO2 removal method.

Original languageEnglish
Article number827698
JournalFrontiers in Climate
Volume4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Feb 2022

Keywords

  • carbon sequestration
  • enhanced weathering of minerals
  • temperature effect on weathering
  • weathering
  • weathering experiment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Global and Planetary Change
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
  • Pollution
  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Atmospheric Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Dissolution of Olivine Added to Soil at 4°C: Implications for Enhanced Weathering in Cold Regions'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this