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Optimizing the Adsorption of water vapour to enhance the Sequestration of Inorganic carbon and phototrophs activity in dry Soils

Project description

Studying natural mineral carbonation to combat climate change

Mineral carbonation emerges as a promising solution for addressing climate change. However, limited attention has been given to managing and enhancing its natural occurrences. The MSCA-funded OASIS project seeks to address this gap by conducting research on enhanced rock weathering (ERW) to expedite this slow process. Additionally, the project will investigate water vapour adsorption (WVA) in drylands, potentially offering valuable long-term carbon sinks. Through experiments and infrastructures to simulate conditions and climate change, OASIS expects to enhance our understanding of natural mineral carbonation. Ultimately, the aim is to draw conclusions on the benefits of ERW in drylands. Project findings are expected to furnish compelling arguments for implementing conservation measures and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in dryland regions.

Objective

Mineral carbonation is based on the reaction of CO2 with metal oxide bearing materials to precipitate insoluble carbonates, with calcium being one of the most attractive metals. While the development of industrial carbonation processes has been recommended to mitigate climate change, its natural occurrence in soils and its potential enhancement through management practices has received little attention so far. Since natural carbonation is commonly considered to be a slow process, spreading powder of non-carbonated, calcium-bearing minerals over soils, a strategy known as enhanced rock weathering (ERW), is a promising way to accelerate it. While humid tropical areas are generally regarded as having the greatest potential for ERW, recent evidence suggests that carbonation may also be significant in drylands, driven by water vapour adsorption (WVA) by soil at night, potentially representing an overlooked long-term carbon sink. The general objective of the OASIS project is to assess the potential of ERW in dryland soils. Its main underlying assumption is that optimizing WVA with amendment of highly adsorbent ground rock will maximize the carbonation process while reducing the dependence of phototrophic organisms on rainfall or irrigation. To tackle this objective, OASIS will implement field and mesocosm manipulative experiments using cutting-edge infrastructure to control environmental conditions and simulate climate change. These will be coupled to state-of-the-art measurements and isotopic tracing of soil-atmosphere water vapor and CO2 fluxes. This research will contribute to filling several gaps in our understanding of natural carbonation and its interactions with WVA, organisms, and climate change. It is also expected to provide solid arguments to implement conservation measures and sustainable agricultural practices in drylands or seasonally dry lands to protect and increase water and carbon resources, in line with several European and global guidelines.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 261 380,64
Address
CAMPUS DE SAN VICENTE RASPEIG
03690 Alicante
Spain

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Region
Este Comunitat Valenciana Alicante/Alacant
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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