Rapid carbon mineralization for permanent disposal of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions

TLDR

Atmospheric CO₂ can be sequestered by injecting it into basaltic rocks, offering a potentially valuable means to mitigate fossil‑fuel‑induced damage. In Icelandic basaltic wells at 400–800 m depth, injected CO₂ mineralized within two years, and the resulting carbonate minerals are stable, reducing the risk of carbon leakage. Matter et al.

Abstract

Inject, baby, inject! Atmospheric CO 2 can be sequestered by injecting it into basaltic rocks, providing a potentially valuable way to undo some of the damage done by fossil fuel burning. Matter et al. injected CO 2 into wells in Iceland that pass through basaltic lavas and hyaloclastites at depths between 400 and 800 m. Most of the injected CO 2 was mineralized in less than 2 years. Carbonate minerals are stable, so this approach should avoid the risk of carbon leakage. Science , this issue p. 1312