How Permanent Is The Carbon Sequestration From OIF?
There are two components to the question of ‘permanence’ of carbon sequestration from OIF. The first component is the length of time that sequestered carbon will be prevented from returning to the atmosphere. This time is a function of the ocean circulation patterns at depth below the fertilized patch. Deep ocean mixing is a slow process that occurs on a time scale of hundreds to a thousand years. The ability to associate the depth of the water column with age (of last contact with the atmosphere) and future trajectory of the water is well-established in the oceanographic community. Measurements of the intrusion of manmade tracers (e.g. CFCs) and radioactive elements into world oceans provide calibration data for circulation models. These models can then produce a “residence time vs. depth profile” curve for any area of the ocean in which ocean fertilization is conducted There are two components to the question of ‘permanence’ of carbon sequestration from OIF. The first component is th
