Can ocean alkalinity enhancement reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide?
Ocean Sciences (OS)
18+
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We must urgently and dramatically reduce our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, even if we completely cut emissions tomorrow, the atmosphere will still hold the majority of the CO2 emitted over the past century. This will continue to affect the climate, and so scientists are exploring how to enhance the natural, but slow, removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. At Dalhousie University in Canada, oceanographers Professor Katja Fennel, Dr Dariia Atamanchuk and Professor Ruth Musgrave are investigating the effectiveness and implications of ocean alkalinity enhancement, a CO2 removal technique that mimics the natural process of rock weathering.
This brochure introduces Katja, Dariia and Ruth’s work, offers an insight into careers in oceanography, contains interviews with the team members, and includes an activity sheet that challenges students to conduct an experiment to observe what happens when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water.