Climate and Co2 Management

In the terms of Socolow & Pacala, what is one "wedge"? Give an example of a power generation technology other than fossil fuel combustion that could be used to achieve one wedge, including a comparison between the magnitude required to achieve one wedge and the magnitude of present day use of this technology.

A wedge: Each wedge represents avoided emissions that would stabilize carbon emissions over a 50 year period (using current technology), emissions triangle. A gigaton of avoided emissions. 3.7 gigatons of C02 (1 to 4 ratio).Wind, solar, nukes. scientists split up the amount of carbon that we need to not emit in the next 50 years into 7 wedges. Each wedge is a way to stop emitting CO2, like one is solar, one is wind, one is carbon capture and sequenstration... Example of power generation technology: Tripling nuke capacity. Reduce deforestation and reforest: decrease tropical deforestation to 0 instead of 0.5 GtC/year, and establish 300Mha of new tree plantations (twice the current rate)

What are three methods for engineered, relatively rapid decreases of atmospheric CO2 concentration?

Carbon capture and storage Enhanced weathering Chemical sequestration

What is the most common form of carbon sequestration used today?

Engineered injection into subsurface pore space.

Outline one strategy to reduce CO2 concentration in the atmosphere that does not involve mitigating emissions.

Growing more plants and reacting sea water with certain types of rocks

Complete this chemical reaction, proposed for solid storage of CO2: Mg2SiO4 + 2CO2 = _______ + ________

MgCo3 (mag. carbonate) + SiO2 (silicon dioxide).

What is the difference between a temperature "proxy" and a measured temperature?

Proxies used to reconstruct the temperature record before the historical period. Ex: isotope ratio in ice, tree rings.

How does the solubility of CO2 in seawater change with temperature?

Solubility is greater in colder water. Positive feedback for cooling.

What produced the 100,000 year cycles in temperature and CO2 concentration in the atmosphere recorded in ice cores?

Sun's magnetic cycles.

True or false: average annual CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has been steadily increasing since at least the late 1950's.

TRUEEEE

What are three of the five major natural reservoirs of carbon?

The atmosphere, the terrestrial biosphere, the sediments (including fossil fuels), and the Earth's interior.

Where might one find large masses of Mg2SiO4?

Ultramafic igneous rocks

How do scientists know that injecting aerosol particles into the upper atmosphere can cause global cooling? About how long does this effect last after one large injection?

Volcanoes already do this. Produces a similar effect to volcanic eruption (particles refract the solar radiation and cool the Earth) It lasts a couple of years (3-5)

How does CO2 solubility in the ocean change with temperature?

When Co2 goes up, temperature increase solubility increases with cooler temps.

What are the relative masses and volumes of fossil fuel versus CO2 produced by combustion of fossil fuel? Why? How does this affect estimates for the CO2 storage capacity of "depleted oil reservoirs"? What other type of large reservoir exists for storage of CO2 in subsurface pore space?

When you oxidize fossil fuels, you increase their mass by about 4 so there will never be enough room to store CO2 In the pores Oil and gas fields

pH balance

as pH increases, acidity goes down. Inverse relationship.

Which is at a high value not seen in more than one million years, atmospheric CO2 or global temperature?

atmospheric Co2

What is CO2 capture and storage (CCS) and how could it contribute to mitigating climate change?

goal is to capture carbon and store it so that it will not enter the atmosphere

How are past temperatures inferred from measurements on ice cores? How is past ice volume inferred from measurements on ice cores and oceanic sediments?

-From oxygen isotopes, precipitation gets heavier when there is more ice in the world. Hydrogen isotopes relay difference better. -inferred from the isotopic composition of the water molecules released by melting the ice cores.

Based on current laboratory data, what abundant, rock forming mineral reacts fastest with CO2 to make solid carbonate minerals? Where is this mineral most abundant on Earth? Where is it found on the surface?

-It is Olivine! -Most abundant in mantle. -Found on surface in Oman (or chunks of the upper crust)

In the context of human emissions of greenhouse gases, what is "ocean acidification"? Why might it have a negative impact on organisms at the bottom of the food chain in the surface oceans?

-Ongoing decrease in the pH and increase in the acidity of the Earth's oceans, caused by uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (Co2) from the atmosphere. When the carbon molecules in the air above seawater increase by four molecules, one will diffuse into seawater. -Many parts of the ocean become undersaturated with calcium carbonate. Affects the ability of some organism to produce and maintain their shells.

Injection of CO2 into the ocean could be done from ships or via pipelines from the shore. Leaving these delivery methods aside, what are two distinct settings and methods proposed for storage of CO2 in the ocean? What is the most obvious, potentially damaging environmental consequence of CO2 storage in the oceans

-Pumping it to the seafloor (remain as liquid, sinks because temperature at which gas turns to liquid decreases as pressure increases) -Dissolving it in the water column. -Ocean turns into seltzer lol (Ocean acidification)

List three carbon storage options

In oceans Dissolved in the water column (not a popular option anymore, acidifies the ocean) In pools at the bottom of the ocean Inject it into empty oil reserves, saline aquifers, and other porous rocks underground (but fear that it will get into the water supply) Turn it into rock by have it interact with rocks like olivine

Name and describe a method for carbon storage and any problems that might arise from this process

In the ocean from moving ships that emit CO2 in the middle of the ocean (Solution to pollution is dilution) Could decrease ph levels dramatically

What is a wedge and what does it have to do with conserving CO2?

One wedge is 1 Gt of C emissions avoided or mitigated

Name two natural reservoirs emitting CO2 and CH4 into the atmosphere. How do these compare in size to human emissions of greenhouse gases?

Plants, oceans, and soils. All BIGGER than human emissions.

Is CO2 the only greenhouse gas whose emissions could be responsible for anthropogenic climate change?

no also methane!