Rock dust and lime spreading on fields before cultivation. The spreading of crushed basalt could remove vast amounts of CO2 from the air
Research results from the Leverhulme Centre in 2020 have suggested that spreading rock dust on farmland could suck billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air every year, according to the first detailed global analysis of the technique. The chemical reactions that degrade the rock particles lock the greenhouse gas into carbonates within months, and some scientists say this approach may be the best near-term way of removing CO2 from the atmosphere. The rock dust approach, called enhanced rock weathering (ERW), has several advantages, the researchers say. Many farmers already add limestone dust to soils to reduce acidification, and adding other rock dust improves fertility and crop yields, meaning application could be routine and desirable. Basalt is the best rock for capturing CO2, and many mines already produce dust as a byproduct, so stockpiles already exist.
Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Photo credit: © SO-Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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