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How the ocean locks away carbon for millions of years
- New analysis of 60-million-year-old South Atlantic lava reveals porous breccia stores carbon in minerals for geologic timescales.
- Breccia acts as a geological sponge, with seawater percolating through rubble to cement minerals and trap carbon.
- Breccia contains two to 40 times more carbon than previously sampled lavas, signaling high sequestration potential.
- The study links deep Earth carbon storage to the deep carbon cycle, affecting climate modeling over long timescales.
- Lava breccia forms where submarine volcanoes erode, creating extensive internal surfaces for seawater to react with rock.
- The research situates breccia as a potentially overlooked term in Earth’s long-term carbon budget.
- Findings enhance understanding of how oceans and crust regulate carbon inputs and outputs over millions of years.
- The work stresses that this is not a quick fix for current emissions, due to geological timescales.
- Nature Geoscience published the study, with implications for reconstructing ancient climates and climate models.
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