Efficiency metrics for ocean alkalinity enhancements under responsive and prescribed atmospheric <i>p</i>CO<sub>2</sub> conditions

Tyka, Michael D.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-341-2025

Articles | Volume 22, issue 1

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-341-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-341-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 22, issue 1

Research article

| Highlight paper

|

16 Jan 2025

Research article | Highlight paper |

| 16 Jan 2025

Efficiency metrics for ocean alkalinity enhancements under responsive and prescribed atmospheric pCO₂ conditions

Michael D. Tyka

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https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-341-2025-supplement

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Efficiency metrics for ocean alkalinity enhancements under responsive and prescribed atmospheric pCO2 conditions Michael D. Tyka https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14172129

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Co-editor-in-chief

Assessing the efficiency and durability of marine carbon dioxide removal (CDR) requires the development of clear measurement, reporting, and verification protocols. In this contribution, Michael Tyke presents a path forward into the robust quantification of marine CDR, presenting and explaining how different metrics can be used, providing new tools for modellers, observationalists, and policymakers.

Short summary

Marine CO₂ removal (mCDR) is a promising technology for removing legacy emissions from the atmosphere. Its indirect nature makes it difficult to assess experimentally; instead one relies heavily on simulation. Many past papers have treated the atmosphere as non-responsive to the intervention studied. We show that even under these simplified assumptions, the increase in ocean CO₂ inventory is equal to the equivalent quantity of direct CO₂ removals occurring over time, in a realistic atmosphere.