Role of Carbonic Anhydrase as an Activator in Carbonate Rock Dissolution and Its Implication for Atmospheric CO_2 Sink

The conversion of CO2 into H+ and is a relatively slow reaction. Hence, its kinetics may be rate determiningin carbonate rock dissolution. Carbonic anhydrase (CA), which is widespread in nature, was used to catalyze the CO2 conversion process in dissolution experiments of limestone and dolomite. It was found that the rate of dissolution increases by a factor of about 10 after the addition of CA at a high CO2 partial pressure (Pco2) for limestone and about 3 at low Pcoj for dolomite. This shows that reappraisal is necessary for the importance of chemical weathering (including carbonate rock dissolution and silicate weathering) in the atmospheric CO2 sink and the mysterious missing sink in carbon cycling. It is doubtless that previous studies of weathering underestimated weathering rates due to the ignorance of CA as an activator in weathering, thus the contribution of weathering to the atmospheric CO2 sink is also underestimated. This finding also shows the need to examine the situ distribution and activ     

Atmospheric CO2 sink: Silicate weathering or carbonate weathering?

It is widely accepted that chemical weathering of Ca–silicate rocks could potentially control long-term climate change by providing feedback interaction with atmospheric CO₂ drawdown by means of precipitation of carbonate, and that in contrast weathering of carbonate rocks has not an equivalent impact because all of the CO₂ consumed in the weathering process is returned to the atmosphere by the comparatively rapid precipitation of carbonates in the oceans. Here, it is shown that the rapid kinetics of carbonate dissolution and the importance of small amounts of carbonate minerals in controlling the dissolved inorganic C (DIC) of silicate watersheds, coupled with aquatic photosynthetic uptake of the weathering-related DIC and burial of some of the resulting organic C, suggest that the atmospheric CO₂ sink from carbonate weathering may previously have been underestimated by a factor of about 3, amounting to 0.477 Pg C/a. This indicates that the contribution of silicate weathering to the atmospheric CO₂ sink may be only 6%, while the other 94% is by carbonate weathering. Therefore, the atmospheric CO₂ sink by carbonate weathering might be significant in controlling both the short-term and long-term climate changes. This questions the traditional point of view that only chemical weathering of Ca–silicate rocks potentially controls long-term climate change.     

Special speleothems in cement-grouting tunnels and their implications of the atmospheric CO2 sink

 Based on the analyses and comparisons of water chemistry, stable carbon isotopes and deposition rates of speleothems, the authors found that there are two kinds of speleothems in the tunnels at the Wujiangdu Dam site, Guizhou, China, namely the CO₂-outgassing type and the CO₂-absorbing type. The former is natural, as observed in general karst caves, and the product of karst processes under natural conditions. The latter, however, is special, resulting from the carbonation of a cement-grouting curtain and concrete. Due to the quick absorption of CO₂ from the surrounding atmosphere, evidenced by the low CO₂ content in the air and the high deposition rate of speleothems (as high as 10 cm/a) in the tunnels, the contribution of the carbonation process to the sink of CO₂ in the atmosphere is important (in the order of magnitude of 10⁸ tons c/a) and should be taken into consideration in the study of the global carbon cycle because of the use of cement on a worldwide scale. Received: 21 July 1997 · Accepted: 13 January 1997     

我国南方岩溶区和北方黄土区的大气CO2效应

我国南方岩溶区与北方黄土区都是巨大的碳库。碳酸盐的溶蚀及再结晶是两个碳库与大气ＣＯ^２交换的重要过程。碳的区域平衡是评价化学风化消耗或逸散ＣＯ^２的基础。岩溶区与黄土区在地球化学风化的环境背景、溶蚀过程、产物运移和归宿等差异很大。黄土区化学风化消耗大气ＣＯ^２通量较岩溶区小。目前评价两类地区土壤与大气ＣＯ^２的源汇关系尚不成熟,需要定量认识土壤ＣＯ^２与下伏碳酸盐岩溶蚀或与下伏黄土次生碳酸盐化作用。岩溶区湖泊沉积物中有机质分解产生的ＨＣＯ^３－制约外源及内生碳酸盐溶解和自生碳酸盐形成。     

Quantifying the carbon source of pedogenic calcite veins in weathered limestone: implications for the terrestrial carbon cycle

The continent is the second largest carbon sink on Earth’s surface. With the diversification of vascular land plants in the late Paleozoic, terrestrial organic carbon burial is represented by massive coal formation, while the development of soil profiles would account for both organic and inorganic carbon burial. As compared with soil organic carbon, inorganic carbon burial, collectively known as the soil carbonate, would have a greater impact on the long-term carbon cycle. Soil carbonate would have multiple carbon sources, including dissolution of host calcareous rocks, dissolved inorganic carbon from freshwater, and oxidation of organic matter, but the host calcareous rock dissolution would not cause atmospheric CO₂ drawdown. Thus, to evaluate the potential effect of soil carbonate formation on the atmospheric pCO₂ level, different carbon sources of soil carbonate should be quantitatively differentiated. In this study, we analyzed the carbon and magnesium isotopes of pedogenic calcite veins developed in a heavily weathered outcrop, consisting of limestone of the early Paleogene Guanzhuang Group in North China. Based on the C and Mg isotope data, we developed a numerical model to quantify the carbon source of calcite veins. The modeling results indicate that 4–37 wt% of carbon in these calcite veins was derived from atmospheric CO₂. The low contribution from atmospheric CO₂ might be attributed to the host limestone that might have diluted the atmospheric CO₂ sink. Nevertheless, taking this value into consideration, it is estimated that soil carbonate formation would lower 1 ppm atmospheric CO₂ within 2000 years, i.e., soil carbonate alone would sequester all atmospheric CO₂ within 1 million years. Finally, our study suggests the C–Mg isotope system might be a better tool in quantifying the carbon source of soil carbonate.

     

Temperature-driven meltwater production and hydrochemical variations at a glaciated alpine karst aquifer: implication for the atmospheric CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> sink under global warming

About two hydrological years of continuous data of discharge, temperature, electrical conductivity and pH have been recorded at the Glarey spring in the Tsanfleuron glaciated karst area in the Swiss Alps, to understand how glaciated karst aquifer systems respond hydrochemically to diurnal and seasonal recharge variations, and how calcite dissolution by glacial meltwater contributes to the atmospheric CO₂ sink. A thermodynamic model was used to link the continuous data to monthly water quality data allowing the calculation of CO₂ partial pressures and calcite saturation indexes. The results show diurnal and seasonal hydrochemical variations controlled chiefly by air temperature, the latter influencing karst aquifer recharge by ice and snowmelt. Karst process-related atmospheric CO₂ sinks were more than four times higher in the melting season than those in the freezing season. This finding has implication for understanding the atmospheric CO₂ sink in glaciated carbonate rock terrains: the carbon sink will increase with increasing runoff caused by global warming, i.e., carbonate weathering provides a negative feedback for anthropogenic CO₂ release. However, this is a transient regulation effect that is most efficient when glacial meltwater production is highest, which in turn depends on the future climatic evolution.     

Carbonation and decarbonation of eclogites: the role of garnet

Carbonates are potentially significant hosts for primordial and subducted carbon in the Earth's mantle. In addition, the coexistence of carbonate with silicates and reduced carbon (diamond or graphite), allows constraints to be placed on the oxidation state of the mantle. Carbonate-silicate-vapor reactions control how carbonate + silicate assemblages may form from carbon-bearing vapor + silicate assemblages with increasing pressure. In olivine-bearing rocks such as peridotite, considered the dominant rock type in the upper mantle, the lowest-pressure carbonate-forming reactions involve olivine (±clinopyroxene) reacting with CO₂ (e.g., Wyllie et al. 1983). In eclogitic rocks, the essential mineral assemblage is omphacitic clinopyroxene + garnet, without olivine. Therefore, alternative carbonate-forming reactions must be sought. The carbonation of clinopyroxene via the reaction dolomite + 2 coesite = diopside + 2 CO₂ was studied experimentally by Luth (1995). The alternative possibility that garnet reacts with CO₂ is explored here by determining the location of the reaction 3 magnesite + kyanite + 2 coesite = pyrope + 3 CO₂ between 5 and 11 GPa in multi-anvil apparatus. At the temperatures ≥1200 °C, carbonation of eclogitic rocks with increasing pressure will proceed initially by reaction with clinopyroxene, because the pyrope-carbonation reaction lies at higher pressures for a given temperature than does the diopside-carbonation reaction. Diluting the pyrope component of garnet and the diopside component of clinopyroxene to levels appropriate for mantle eclogites does not change this conclusion. At lower temperatures, appropriate for “cold” slabs, it is possible that the converse situation will hold, with initial carbonation proceeding via reaction with garnet, but this possibility awaits experimental confirmation. Decarbonation of an eclogite under “normal mantle” geothermal conditions by a decrease in pressure, as in an ascending limb of a mantle convection cell, would be governed by the formation of clinopyroxene + CO₂. At higher pressure than this reaction, any CO₂ produced by the breakdown of magnesite reacting with kyanite and coesite would react with clinopyroxene to produce dolomite + coesite. Release of CO₂ from eclogite into mantle peridotite would form carbonate at sub-solidus conditions and produce a dolomitic carbonate melt if temperatures are above the peridotite-CO₂ solidus. Received: 4 May 1998 / Accepted: 23 December 1998     

Carbon Fluxes and Sinks: the Consumption of Atmospheric and Soil CO2 by Carbonate Rock Dissolution

Carbonate rock outcrops cover 9%–16% of the continental area and are the principal source of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) transferred by rivers to the oceans, a consequence their dissolution. Current estimations suggest that the flux falls between 0.1–0.6 PgC/a. Taking the intermediate value (0.3 PgC/a), it is equal to 18% of current estimates of the terrestrial vegetation net carbon sink and 38% of the soil carbon sink. In China, the carbon flux from carbonate rock dissolution is estimated to be 0.016 PgC/a, which accounts for 21%, 87.5%–150% and 2.3 times of the forest, shrub and grassland net carbon sinks respectively, as well as 23%–40% of the soil carbon sink flux. Carbonate dissolution is sensitive to environmental and climatic changes, the rate being closely correlated with precipitation, temperature, also with soil and vegetation cover. HCO3- in the water is affected by hydrophyte photosynthesis, resulting in part of the HCO3? being converted into DOC and POC, which may enhance the potential of carbon sequestration by carbonate rock dissolution. The possible turnover time of this carbon is roughly equal to that of the sea water cycle (2000a). The uptake of atmospheric/soil CO2 by carbonate rock dissolution thus plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, being one of the most important sinks. A major research need is to better evaluate the net effect of this sink in comparison to an oceanic source from carbonate mineral precipitation.     

岩溶地质碳汇的稳定性——以贵州草海地质碳汇为例

近几年来对岩溶碳汇的争论越来越多, 其关键问题是岩溶作用产生的重碳酸根是否稳定。本文以贵州草海流域为研究区, 基于前人研究基础, 以碳同位素模型计算出岩溶作用产生的DIC((Dissolved Inorganic Carbon溶解无机碳)中58.8%为草海中为水生植物利用, 草海地质碳汇量达588.67 tC/a。以此推算长江中下游湖泊沉水植物每年固碳量370602 tC/a, 长江中下游湖泊中仅沉水植物稳定的地质风化CO2汇量约为75万吨。从而证明岩溶碳汇的相对稳定性和岩溶动力系统新理论的合理性。     

重庆南山老龙洞地下河流域岩溶地下水DIC和δ13CDIC及其流域碳汇变化特征

以重庆南山老龙洞岩溶地下河流域为例,通过分析地下河水DIC变化特征与来源,估算了流域岩溶碳汇通量,并探讨了自然条件和人类活动对岩溶碳汇的影响。研究结果表明,老龙洞地下河的水化学类型为Ca-HCO3-SO4型,显示其形成过程中受碳酸盐岩碳酸溶蚀和硫酸溶蚀共同控制。地下河水DIC浓度为3.1~6.3mmol/L,其中夏季因受降雨稀释作用影响DIC较冬季的低;地下河水δ13CDIC值介于-3.8‰~-13.1‰之间,且夏季比冬季偏高约2‰。根据地下河水DIC浓度和流域径流量计算出流域岩溶净碳汇通量均值约为167.31×103mol/(km2?a)。降雨条件下,流域岩溶碳汇通量随流域径流量的迅速增加而增加。另外,流域碳酸盐岩溶蚀还受到人类活动产生的硫酸型酸雨影响,使得地下水δ13CDIC值相对偏高,它在一定程度上减少了流域碳汇通量。      

Impact of animal manure addition on the weathering of agricultural lime in acidic soils: The agent of carbonate weathering

Fertilization and aglime (agricultural lime) application, as important agricultural activities in acid soil, exert an influence on the fluxes of carbon both between and within ecosystems. Animal manure added to soil can elevate the soil CO2 and release organic acid due to microbial decomposition of the high organic matter content of animal manure. Additionally, the elevated CO2 can accelerate carbonate weathering in alkaline soil, such as lime soil. However, in acidic soil, it is unclear whether the chemical weathering of additive aglime can be quickened by the elevated CO2 due to animal manure addition. Thus, to ascertain the impact of animal manure addition on aglime weathering in acidic soil and to understand the weathering agent of aglime or underlying carbonate in the acidic soil profile, we established two contrasting profiles (control profile and manurial profile) in a cabbage-corn or capsicum-corn rotation in a field experiment site located in the HuaXi district of Guiyang, China, and buried carbonate rock tablets at different depths of soil profiles to calculate the dissolution rate of carbonate rock by monitoring the weights of the tablets. The results indicated that soil CO2 increased due to animal manure addition, but the rate of dissolution of the carbonate rock tablets was reduced, which was attributed to the increase in the pH in acidic soil after animal manure addition because the relationship between the dissolution rate of carbonate rock and soil pH indicated that the weathering rate of carbonate rock was controlled by pH and not by CO2 in acidic soil. Thus, the contribution of H+ ions (mainly exchangeable acid) in acid soil as a weathering agent to the weathering of underlying carbonate (and/or aglime) may lead to the overestimation of the CO2 consumption through chemical weathering at the regional/global scale using hydro-chemical methods.     

Climatic and lithologic controls on the temporal and spatial variability of CO2 consumption via chemical weathering: An example from the Australian Victorian Alps

A detailed geochemical study on river waters of the Australian Victorian Alps was carried out to determine: (i) the relative significance of silicate, carbonate, evaporite and sulfide weathering in controlling the major ion composition and; (ii) the factors regulating seasonal and spatial variations of CO₂ consumption via silicate weathering in the catchments. Major ion chemistry implies that solutes are largely derived from evaporation of precipitation and chemical weathering of carbonate and silicate lithologies. The input of solutes from rock weathering was determined by calculating the contribution of halite dissolution and atmospheric inputs using local rain and snow samples. Despite the lack of carbonate outcrops in the study area and waters being undersaturated with respect to calcite, the dissolution of vein calcite accounts for up to 67% of the total dissolved cations, generating up to 90% of dissolved Ca and 97% of Mg. Dissolved sulfate has δ³⁴S values of 16 to 20‰_CDT, indicating that it is derived predominantly from atmospheric deposition and minor gypsum weathering and not from bacterial reduction of FeS₂. This militates against sulphuric acid weathering in Victorian rivers. Ratios of Si vs. the atmospheric corrected Na and K concentrations range from ~ 1.1 to ~ 4.3, suggesting incongruent weathering from plagioclase to smectite, kaolinite and gibbsite.Estimated long-term average CO₂ fluxes from silicate weathering range from ~ 0.012 × 10⁶ to 0.039 × 10⁶ mol/km²/yr with the highest values in rivers draining the basement outcrops rather than sedimentary rocks. This is about one order of magnitude below the global average which is due to low relief, and the arid climate in that region. Time series measurements show that exposure to lithology, high physical erosion and long water–rock contact times dominate CO₂ consumption fluxes via silicate weathering, while variations in water temperature are not overriding parameters controlling chemical weathering. Because the atmospheric corrected concentrations of Na, K and Mg act non-conservative in Victorian rivers the parameterizations of weathering processes, and net CO₂ consumption rates in particular, based on major ion abundances, should be treated with skepticism.     

外源水和外源酸对万华岩地下河系统岩溶碳汇效应的影响

流域的岩石化学风化过程是全球碳循环中的重要环节。近年来流域水化学碳汇通量估算已越来越多地关注到外源水(硅酸盐风化)及外源酸对全球碳循环的影响。文章选取万华岩地下河流域为研究区,流域硅酸盐岩和碳酸盐岩分布面积占比为64%和36%,于2017年对洞口进行为期一年的取样监测,并分别于4月和9月对万华岩地下河系统内13个水点的离子组成进行监测,利用水化学平衡法和Galy模型,对流域岩石化学风化速率和CO2消耗通量进行了计算,对万华岩地下河系统的岩石风化和碳循环过程进行了分析。结果表明,万华岩地下河系统岩石风化消耗CO2的速率为31.02 t·(km2·a)-1;以碳酸岩风化为主,其风化速率为硅酸盐溶蚀的20倍;流域内碳酸盐岩风化对CO2消耗量占到整个流域的92.16%;不同岩石风化类型对碳通量的贡献率以碳酸溶解碳酸盐岩最大,为87.06%;流域上游的外源水对岩溶碳汇具有巨大的促进作用,外源水汇入后碳酸盐岩碳汇速率可以达到无外源水汇入流域的2倍;硫酸溶解碳酸盐岩次之,为9.24%;碳酸风化硅酸盐岩最小,为3.7%,在计算流域碳汇量的时候应将硫酸参与岩石风化的影响去除。     

Enriched stable carbon isotopes in the pore waters of carbonate sediments dominated by seagrasses: Evidence for coupled carbonate dissolution and reprecipitation

Studies of the δ¹³C of pore water dissolved inorganic carbon (δ¹³C-DIC) were carried out in shallow water carbonate sediments of the Great Bahamas Bank (GBB) to further examine sediment-seagrass relationships and to more quantitatively describe the couplings between organic matter remineralization and sediment carbonate diagenesis. At all sites studied δ¹³C-DIC provided evidence for the dissolution of sediment carbonate mediated by metabolic CO₂ (i.e., CO₂ produced during sediment organic matter remineralization); these observations are also consistent with pore water profiles of alkalinity, total DIC and Ca²⁺ at these sites. In bare oolitic sands, isotope mass balance further indicates that the sediment organic matter undergoing remineralization is a mixture of water column detritus and seagrass material; in sediments with intermediate seagrass densities, seagrass derived material appears to be the predominant source of organic matter undergoing remineralization. However, in sediments with high seagrass densities, the pore water δ¹³C-DIC data cannot be simply explained by dissolution of sediment carbonate mediated by metabolic CO₂, regardless of the organic matter type. Rather, these results suggest that dissolution of metastable carbonate phases occurs in conjunction with reprecipitation of more stable carbonate phases. Simple closed system calculations support this suggestion, and are broadly consistent with results from more eutrophic Florida Bay sediments, where evidence of this type of carbonate dissolution/reprecipitation has also been observed. In conjunction with our previous work in the Bahamas, these observations provide further evidence for the important role that seagrasses play in mediating early diagenetic processes in tropical shallow water carbonate sediments. At the same time, when these results are compared with results from other terrigenous coastal sediments, as well as supralysoclinal carbonate-rich deep-sea sediments, they suggest that carbonate dissolution/reprecipitation may be more important than previously thought, in general, in the early diagenesis of marine sediments.     

珠江流域岩石风化作用消耗大气/土壤CO2量的估算

以流域的岩性、径流量和水化学分析数据为主要资料,利用基于GIS空间分析的GEM-CO2模型,估算珠江流域陆地岩石风化作用消耗大气/土壤空气中的CO2,评价河流流域的碳汇能力。结果表明,珠江流域因岩石溶蚀和风化作用消耗大气/土壤中的CO2量为252×109 mol·a-1(571×103 mol·km-2·a-1),从岩性分析,碳酸盐岩区大气/土壤CO2消耗量为180×109 mol·a-1(1030×103 mol·km-2·a-1),占总量的71.4%。二级流域以西江流域CO2消耗量最大,占珠江流域总CO2消耗量79.4%,北江、东江分别占总量的13.0%、4.9%。珠江流域大气/土壤CO2消耗量大约为世界大河流域平均值的2.3倍。     

碳酸酐酶对碳酸盐岩溶解的催化作用及其在大气CO2沉降中的意义

CO2向H^ 和HCO3^－的转换是一相对慢速过程。因此，其动力学可能决定碳酸盐岩的溶解速率。在灰岩和白云岩的溶解实验中，使用了自然界普遍存在的碳酸酐酶（CA）来催化这一CO2转换反应，结果发现，对灰岩而言，加入CA后，其溶解速率在高CO2分层时可增加10倍，而对白云岩，其溶解速率增加主要在低CO2分压时，可达3倍左右。这一发现表明，化学风化（包括碳酸盐岩溶解和硅酸盐风化）作用在大气CO2沉降和全球碳循环里的所谓丢失的汇中的重要性需要重新评价。毫无疑问，已往的研究由于未认识到CA在风化中的催化作用，因此低估了风化作用的速率，同时也低估了风化作用对大气CO2沉降的贡献。另一方面，也表明了研究自然界不同水体中CA分布及其活度和CA在自然界风化作用中的作用的必要性。     

河流泥沙输移过程中矿物风化的碳汇效应初探——以长江干流为例

本文首先提出了河流泥沙输移过程中泥沙中的钙镁矿物溶蚀消耗水体中的CO2并具有碳汇功能的观点。基于前人长江干流从源头到入海口和支流2003~2007年期间4次河流悬移质泥沙的化学元素组成和矿物组成资料,分析悬移质中CaO、MgO含量和方解石、白云石含量变化特征,定量计算了这些取样点悬移质泥沙的CO2总碳汇能力和非永久性、永久性碳汇能力,分析了不同碳汇能力沿程变化规律及其原因。碳汇计算结果表明：寸滩—大通河段1956~2000年期间泥沙输移过程中钙镁矿物溶蚀产生的总碳汇量、非永久性和永久性碳汇量分别为2572万t/a、1700万t/a和872万t/a。由于输沙量减少,寸滩站—大通站河段的总碳汇量、非永久性和永久性碳汇量2006~2019年期间较1956~2000年期间相应分别减少了1852万t、1224万t和872万t。三峡水库年均淤积量1. 145亿t,损失总碳汇量675. 6万t,相当于三峡电站减排二氧化碳8580万t的7. 9%。全球河流入海年输沙量126. 1亿t,以寸滩- 吴淞口河段碳汇功能0. 060 t/t计,总碳汇量7. 57亿t相当于全球岩石风化碳汇总量10. 56亿t CO2的71. 6%。河流泥沙输移过程中钙镁矿物溶蚀的碳汇量具有重要的作用,其溶蚀速率大于原地风化。     

Solubility of water and carbon dioxide in an icelandite at 1400 °C and 10 kilobars

The concentrations of water and carbon dissolved in an icelandite glass quenched from 1400 °C and 10 kbar were measured using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and elemental analyses of carbon and hydrogen. Only carbon dioxide and water were observed in the fluid phase as analysed after quenching with a qudrupole mass analyser. The mole fraction of carbon dioxide in the fluid phase ranged from 0.36 to 0.95. Carbon is dissolved as carbonate except at the highest CO₂ fluid fugacity, where a small amount of molecular CO₂ is observed. Dissolved carbon in the glasses, calculated as CO₂, remained constant at approximately 1 wt %, in spite of the different CO₂ fluid fugacities. Water was dissolved as molecular water and as hydroxyl groups, the hydroxyl concentration in the quenched glasses remaining almost constant over the whole interval, whereas the molecular water dissolves in accordance with Henry's law. Molecular water peaks at 5200␣cm⁻¹ and 1630 cm⁻¹, the hydroxyl peak at 4500␣cm⁻¹, and the carbonate peaks at 1400 cm⁻¹–1550 cm⁻¹ have been calibrated using elemental analyses of C and H in the quenched glasses. As molecular water decreases in the melt the higher wavenumber carbonate peak is observed to move towards the molecular water peak at 1630 cm⁻¹ causing a split of the carbonate peaks, ranging from 45 cm⁻¹ to 100 cm⁻¹. Received: 15 November 1995 / Accepted: 21 September 1996     

Quick-look assessments to identify optimal CO2 EOR storage sites

A newly developed, multistage quick-look methodology allows for the efficient screening of an unmanageably large number of reservoirs to generate a workable set of sites that closely match the requirements for optimal CO₂ enhanced oil recovery (EOR) storage. The objective of the study is to quickly identify miscible CO₂ EOR candidates in areas that contain thousands of reservoirs and to estimate additional oil recovery and sequestration capacities of selected top options through dimensionless modeling and reservoir characterization. Quick-look assessments indicate that the CO₂ EOR resource potential along the US Gulf Coast is 4.7 billion barrels, and CO₂ sequestration capacity is 2.6 billion metric tons. In the first stage, oil reservoirs are screened and ranked in terms of technical and practical feasibility for miscible CO₂ EOR. The second stage provides quick estimates of CO₂ EOR potential and sequestration capacities. In the third stage, a dimensionless group model is applied to a selected set of sites to improve the estimates of oil recovery and storage potential using appropriate inputs for rock and fluid properties, disregarding reservoir architecture and sweep design. The fourth stage validates and refines the results by simulating flow in a model that describes the internal architecture and fluid distribution in the reservoir. The stated approach both saves time and allows more resources to be applied to the best candidate sites.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Air–Sea Exchange due to Calcium Carbonate and Organic Matter Storage,and its Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle

Release of CO₂ from surface ocean water owing to precipitation of CaCO₃ and the imbalance between biological production of organic matter and its respiration, and their net removal from surface water to sedimentary storage was studied by means of a quotient θ = (CO₂ flux to the atmosphere)/(CaCO₃ precipitated). θ depends not only on water temperature and atmospheric CO₂ concentration but also on the CaCO₃ and organic carbon masses formed. In CO₂ generation by CaCO₃ precipitation, θ varies from a fraction of 0.44 to 0.79, increasing with decreasing temperature (25 to 5°C), increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentration (195–375 ppmv), and increasing CaCO₃ precipitated mass (up to 45% of the initial DIC concentration in surface water). Primary production and net storage of organic carbon counteracts the CO₂ production by carbonate precipitation and it results in lower CO₂ emissions from the surface layer. When atmospheric CO₂ increases due to the ocean-to-atmosphere flux rather than remaining constant, the amount of CO₂ transferred is a non-linear function of the surface layer thickness because of the back-pressure of the rising atmospheric CO₂. For a surface ocean layer approximated by a 50-m-thick euphotic zone that receives input of inorganic and organic carbon from land, the calculated CO₂ flux to the atmosphere is a function of the CaCO₃ and C_org net storage rates. In general, the carbonate storage rate has been greater than that of organic carbon. The CO₂ flux near the Last Glacial Maximum is 17 to 7×10¹² mol/yr (0.2–0.08 Gt C/yr), reflecting the range of organic carbon storage rates in sediments, and for pre-industrial time it is 38–42×10¹² mol/yr (0.46–0.50 Gt C/yr). Within the imbalanced global carbon cycle, our estimates indicate that prior to anthropogenic emissions of CO₂ to the atmosphere the land organic reservoir was gaining carbon and the surface ocean was losing carbon, calcium, and total alkalinity owing to the CaCO₃ storage and consequent emission of CO₂. These results are in agreement with the conclusions of a number of other investigators. As the CO₂ uptake in mineral weathering is a major flux in the global carbon cycle, the CO₂ weathering pathway that originates in the CO₂ produced by remineralization of soil humus rather than by direct uptake from the atmosphere may reduce the relatively large imbalances of the atmosphere and land organic reservoir at 10²–10⁴-year time scales.