Abstract
An active removal of CO2 from the atmosphere will be necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. This project focusses on the novel CO2 capture method of enhanced weathering (EW), which involves the amendment of ground silicates to agricultural soils. Besides natural minerals, steel slags (silicates produced as a by-product in the steel industry) are also suitable for EW, making this technique even more sustainable. Recent scientific work has proven the inorganic carbon capture ability of this state-of-the-art method and revealed co-benefits for soil fertility (e.g. drought resilience, nutrient availability, etc.). This early research is however missing an important piece of the puzzle. Despite the well-known importance of organic matter for soil health and carbon storage, the impact of EW on organic carbon has not yet been studied. Considering known mechanisms governing organic carbon stocks in soils, I hypothesise that EW will lead to an increase of organic carbon sequestration and therefore to an amplification of the climate change mitigation potential. If confirmed, EW could aid in abating the problem of diminishing organic carbon stocks in agricultural soils, while improving soil fertility and capturing CO2 from the atmosphere. Hence, the proposed project would not only contribute to substantial progress within the emerging research field of EW but also to the creation of sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.
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