Eco Factor: Rocks found 20 kilometers under the surface of Earth can be tapped to capture and store vast amounts of CO2.
The increase in the levels of CO2 in the recent decades has not only made the planet warmer, but has also increased the heat in the minds of researchers, who are desperate to find a way to get rid of all these GHGs as soon as possible. The research by the Columbia University in Oman might just be the savior.
The research team has discovered that a type of rock that forms most of the Earth’s mantle can be used to tap and store CO2. This rock, known as Peridotite, is usually found around 20 kilometers below the surface but some tectonic movements push this rock to the surface. This rock reacts with atmospheric gases to form calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate rocks.
Researchers initially were interested in transporting huge amounts of this rock, grinding them and then combining them with smokestack gases. This not only is a costly process, but transporting this much rock on trucks can prove to be an eco-disaster. So if the rock cannot be taken out and transported, the other solution is to push CO2 underground and let the rock below the surface convert it. The rocks in Oman can capture 10,000 to 100,000 tons of carbon per year, and if better technology is brought to use, the same rocks would be able to capture 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year.
The Dark Side:
This new research looks like it will solve some of the environment’s woes, but drilling 20 kilometer holes for the rocks will not be as ecofriendly as the process itself.
Via: GoodCleanTech/Physorg
