Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024, 1–2 p.m.
Science Building 4th floor open-space
ERTH SEMINAR SERIES
March 28, Thurs., 1 – 2pm
SCI 4th floor open-space
ENHANCED ROCK WEATHERING FOR CO2 REMOVAL IN CROPLAND SOILS: METHODOLOGIES, MEASUREMENTS, AND LINGERING UNKNOWNS
DR. IRIS HOLZER
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA
Silicate weathering plays a critical role in Earth's climate system and biogeochemical cycling. Accelerating this process via enhanced rock weathering (ERW) in cropland soils has received considerable attention in recent years as a pathway to achieve atmospheric carbon dioxide removal. However, agreement on measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) approaches for determining this carbon removal is lacking, in part because of limited empirical data. In this seminar, I will discuss emerging methodologies for ERW MRV, results from field trials and mesocosm-scale experiments in California croplands, and lingering unknowns related to carbon removal and ancillary effects on crops and soils. Overall, findings from this California-based research highlight the challenges of quantifying carbon storage from ERW and the need to monitor for soil/plant impacts, while also suggesting enhanced weathering can remove measurable carbon dioxide even under severe moisture limitation.
Todd Greene
530-898-5546
tjgreene@csuchico.edu
https://www.csuchico.edu/erth/seminar/spring-2024.shtml