CDR Verification Framework Documentation
Docs: Pathway
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (Mineral)
VCL
1-3
Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) adds alkalinity into the surface ocean to enhance its ability to uptake and store atmospheric CO₂. Here, we specifically consider OAE that is facilitated by adding solid or semi-solid minerals to the ocean which dissolve to enhance alkalinity. This pathway is VCL 1-3, meaning that current quantification capacity may be able to establish net carbon removal occurred, but for some approaches, very significant uncertainties remain.
Version history
Apr 10 2023
v2.0
Updated pathway to better reflect differentiation between different types of mineral additions. This changes our upper-bound evaluation of this Mineral OAE from VCL 2 to VCL 3. Updated pathway to include a more explicit representation of marine carbonate precipitation, in alignment with the Enhanced weathering and Direct ocean removal pathways. Updated the VCL to exclude the durability components ('DIC residence time' and 'Marine carbonate durability') as the corresponding uncertainties are covered in the 'Marine carbonate precipitation' component. These changes did not affect the overall VCL. Further details on these updates are available in this blog post.
Sep 19 2022
v1.0
First release.
Acknowledgments
This framework has been shaped by input and feedback from external experts, including CDR companies, scientists, and other CDR ecosystem actors. Any remaining mistakes or mischaracterizations are the authors’ sole responsibility.
Scientific Expert
v1.0
David Ho (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa)
Ecosystem Actor
v1.0
Jamie Collins (Environmental Defense Fund)
Scientific Expert
v1.0
Matt Long (NCAR)
Scientific Expert
v1.0
Sophie Gill (University of Oxford)
CDR Company
v2.0
Planetary
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (Mineral)
VCL
1-3
Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) adds alkalinity into the surface ocean to enhance its ability to uptake and store atmospheric CO₂. Here, we specifically consider OAE that is facilitated by adding solid or semi-solid minerals to the ocean which dissolve to enhance alkalinity. This pathway is VCL 1-3, meaning that current quantification capacity may be able to establish net carbon removal occurred, but for some approaches, very significant uncertainties remain.
Version history
Apr 10 2023
v2.0
Updated pathway to better reflect differentiation between different types of mineral additions. This changes our upper-bound evaluation of this Mineral OAE from VCL 2 to VCL 3. Updated pathway to include a more explicit representation of marine carbonate precipitation, in alignment with the Enhanced weathering and Direct ocean removal pathways. Updated the VCL to exclude the durability components ('DIC residence time' and 'Marine carbonate durability') as the corresponding uncertainties are covered in the 'Marine carbonate precipitation' component. These changes did not affect the overall VCL. Further details on these updates are available in this blog post.
Sep 19 2022
v1.0
First release.
Acknowledgments
This framework has been shaped by input and feedback from external experts, including CDR companies, scientists, and other CDR ecosystem actors. Any remaining mistakes or mischaracterizations are the authors’ sole responsibility.
Scientific Expert
v1.0
David Ho (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa)
Ecosystem Actor
v1.0
Jamie Collins (Environmental Defense Fund)
Scientific Expert
v1.0
Matt Long (NCAR)
Scientific Expert
v1.0
Sophie Gill (University of Oxford)
CDR Company
v2.0
Planetary