Yang & Timmermans (2024): Assessing the effective settling of mineral particles in the ocean with application to ocean-based carbon-dioxide removal
Adam Jiankang Yang, Mary-Louise Timmermans IN: Environmental Research Letters, DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad2236
The effectiveness of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) relies on particles remaining in the ocean mixed layer while dissolution takes place, which depends on particle settling rates. Conventionally, particle settling rates are assessed using the Stokes settling velocity in stagnant conditions. However, recent numerical modeling reveals that in dynamic, stratified ocean environments, sediment vertical transport can be up to an order of magnitude faster than Stokes settling because of two types of fluid instabilities that can take place at the mixed layer base. Here, the authors estimate effective settling velocities in the presence of these instabilities and assess the implications for the efficacy of this particular OAE approach for CDR.