Carbon Mineralization: From Natural Analogues to Engineered Systems

Abstract

Carbon sequestration research and technology is motivated by concerns that increasing atmospheric C02 concentrations are causing changes to Earth's climate and ecosystems that have the potential to cause serious, negative impacts on human welfare (IPCC 2005, 2007). As a global society, we will need to greatly improve energy efficiency and conservation, and develop alternative and renewable energy sources, while implementing carbon sequestration strategies to stabilize the concentration of atmospheric C02. The carbon mineralization strategies reviewed in this chapter complement C02 storage in subsurface pore space. This promising approach for sequestering C02 is grounded in the fundamental processes that govern natural mineral dissolution and carbonate precipitation. Natural analogue sites allow for the study of the geochemical and biological transformation of C02 at the field-scale; drawing our attention to potential reaction pathways that can be exploited and utilized, but also to the limitations that must be overcome in geoengineered and industrial systems designed to accelerate carbonation. Further study of natural analogues may yield a better understanding of the reaction pathways required for efficient carbonation, the long-term stability of carbonate minerals at Earth's surface, and the monitoring required for long-term storage (...)