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Published (Version of record)CC BY V3.0, Open
Letter/Communication
Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization
Environmental research letters, Vol.12(3), 035001
23/02/2017
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Abstract
In order to meet the goal of limiting global average temperature increase to less than 2 degrees C, it is increasingly apparent that negative emissions technologies of up to 10 Pg C yr(-1) will be needed before the end of the century. Recent research indicates that fertilization of the ocean with the macronutrients nitrogen and phosphorus where they limit primary production, may have sequestration advantages over fertilizing iron limited regions. Utilizing global datasets of oceanographic field measurements, and output from a high resolution global circulation model, the current study provides the first comprehensive assessment of the global potential for carbon sequestration from ocean macronutrient fertilization (OMF). Sufficient excess phosphate exists outside the iron limited surface ocean to support once-off sequestration of up to 3.6 Pg C by fertilization with nitrogen. Ongoing maximum capacity of nitrogen only fertilization is estimated at 0.7 +/- 0.4 Pg C yr(-1) . Sequestration capacity is expected to decrease from the upper toward the lower bound over time under continued intense fertilization. If N and P were used in combination the capacity is ultimately limited by societies willingness to utilize phosphate resources. Doubling current phosphate production would allow an additional 0.9 Pg C yr(-1) and consume 0.07% yr(-1) of known global resources. Therefore offsetting up to around 15% (1.5 Pg C yr(-1)) of annual global CO2 emissions is assessed as being technically plausible. Environmental risks which to date have received little quantitative evaluation, could also limit the scale of implementation. These results reinforce the need to consider a multi-faceted approach to greenhouse gasses, including a reduction in emissions coupled with further research into negative emissions technologies.
Details
- Title
- Global negative emissions capacity of ocean macronutrient fertilization
- Creators
- Daniel P. Harrison - University of Sydney
- Publication Details
- Environmental research letters, Vol.12(3), 035001
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing Ltd
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- Australian Government, Department of Education; Australian Government; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Australian Postgraduate Award; Australian Government
- Identifiers
- 991013099081102368
- Copyright
- © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Letter/Communication