The Unexpected CO2 Contributor: Weathered Rocks

Jakarta –

The facts state that the natural weathering of rocks, which usually acts as a carbon dioxide (CO2) absorber, can also be a large CO2 contributor. In fact, the CO2 produced can rival that of a volcano.

As reported by research entitled “Rock organic carbon oxidation CO2 release offsets silicate weathering sink” by Jesse Zondervan from the journal Nature 2023, this condition can influence climate change.

Rock Weathering Produces CO2

Rocks from weathered remains of ancient plants or animals can absorb CO2 when a reaction occurs between certain minerals and acids in rainwater. This process can actually help fight volcanic CO2 and keep the Earth’s surface habitable.

However, this study found for the first time that weathered rocks also release CO2 into the atmosphere in the same process as volcanoes.

It is known that this process occurs when rocks containing ancient fossils from the seabed are pushed to the surface of the Earth, thereby exposing organic carbon to oxygen in the air and water which can release CO2. This means that weathered rocks can be a source of CO2, but not the same source as other sources of CO2.

To measure this CO2 release, the researchers used the trace element rhenium, which is released into water when organic carbon reacts with oxygen. Water samples can be taken from rivers, but this is difficult if the samples taken have taste; from rivers around the world.

To increase the scale on Earth’s surface, the researchers did two things. First, find out how much carbon is in rocks near the surface. Second, look for a location where the first method occurs quickly, namely through erosion in the mountains.

“The challenge was how to combine global maps with river data. We fed all the data into a supercomputer in Oxford to stimulate interactions between physical, chemical and hydrological processes. That way, we could estimate the total carbon dioxide released by rocks into the air,” explained Jesse Zondervan, a researcher on this study from Oxford University.

The results of this research can be compared to how much CO2 is absorbed by rock weathering on silicate minerals. Then also to identify the location of the area where there is a source of CO2 from rocks.

Total CO2 Content

It is known that hot spots for CO2 release are concentrated in mountains with high uplift rates causing the exposure of sedimentary rocks. Global CO2 release from weathering is recorded at 68 megatons of carbon per year.

“This is around 100 times less than the CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels, but the amount is similar to that released by volcanoes around the world, meaning they are key to Earth’s natural carbon cycle,” said Professor Robert Hilton, who supported the research. This.

This may also have happened in Earth’s past, where periods of mountain formation gave rise to many rocks that could release higher levels of CO2 and influence the global climate at that time.

Researchers’ Predictions for the Future

The question in this research is whether this natural CO2 release can increase in the next few years?

“Right now we don’t know whether our method can predict, but we still can’t judge whether it can be changed,” Hilton said

“Even though this CO2 release is smaller than current human emissions, this understanding can be used to better predict carbon,” Zondervan concluded.

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2023-10-09 06:30:23
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