3 ms·

I think that 'large mountain estimate' depends heavily on atmosphere-ocean mixing rates, doesn't it? IIRC, ocean circulation takes about ~2000 years to mix the

I think that 'large mountain estimate' depends heavily on atmosphere-ocean mixing rates, doesn't it? IIRC, ocean circulation takes about ~2000 years to mix the oceans. Ocean acidification is a local near-surface phenomenon caused by the oceans absorbing the higher levels of CO2 and pulling the carbonate equilibrium to the left, so to speak. CO2(atm) <-> (H2CO3) <-> (HCO3)- <-> (CO3)-2 -> CaCO3 precipitate ? I don't know a whole lot about this, but it seems you'd have to keep doing this steadily and gradually for > 100 years (maybe 1000 years) at global scale to get that effect? ...and that's assuming no more fossil fuel combustion was taking place? As a mitigation for coral reefs, oyster beds etc. it seems to have more immediate value.

chris_va 4y ago
No, we'd need to dissolve that amount into the mix layer (call it the top 50m, for argument's sake), which takes a few months to equilibriate with the atmosphere through that carbonate chemistry. But, if one managed to do it all at once (not sure how), it would only take a few months. One would want to avoid downwelling regions that get sucked into deep ocean circulation before reaching equilibrium (e.g. the north atlantic), that alkalinity would take a long time to come back up and be useful.