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Carbon Sequestration

Carbon Sequestration. Akilah Martin Fall 2005. Outline. Pre-Assessment Student learning goals Carbon Sequestration Background Century Model Overview What is Expected of Students Assignment/Scenario Example Simulation. Student Learning Goals.

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Carbon Sequestration

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  1. Carbon Sequestration Akilah Martin Fall 2005

  2. Outline • Pre-Assessment • Student learning goals • Carbon Sequestration Background • Century Model Overview • What is Expected of Students • Assignment/Scenario • Example Simulation

  3. Student Learning Goals Through this project students will be able to: • Understand the use of models in analyzing and predicting solutions to real-world, complex problems (2) Understand carbon sequestration processes (3) Correlate tillage practices, soil texture, weather, and cropping sequences with optimal carbon sequestration strategies (4) Enhance student’s decision-making skills (5) Be able to use the concepts, generate ideas and apply what was learned in their future environmental careers

  4. Defining Carbon Sequestration • Process of transforming carbon in the air (carbon dioxide or CO2) into soil carbon • Long-term storage of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere, underground, or the oceans so that the buildup of carbon dioxide (the principal greenhouse gas) concentration in the atmosphere will be reduced • Removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere into sinks (i.e. soil) is one way of addressing climate change Reference: http://cdiac2.esd.ornl.gov/

  5. Carbon Facts • In the past 60 years, the amount of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted to the atmosphere, primarily because of expanding use of fossil fuels for energy, has risen from pre-industrial levels of 280 parts per million to present levels of over 365 parts per million • This increase has been implicated in a gradual increase in the Earth’s temperature • In 1998, the US released 5.4 tonnes of carbon per capita, European countries averaged around 1.9 tonnes and Africa emitted 0.3 tonnes. 1 tonne = 1,000kg http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3617868.stm

  6. http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/envscinotes8.html http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/envscinotes8.html http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/MAPS.html

  7. Carbon Storage Facts • Soils store about 3X as much carbon as does terrestrial vegetation • 27% of this carbon is found in tundra and boreal forest ecosystems • The grassland region, which includes arid, transitional and sub-humid grassland, stores considerably less carbon than the more northern regions

  8. Carbon Facts • Plants and trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere by the process photosynthesis.  • Carbon is returned to the atmosphere through respiration of plants, microbes, and animals and by natural and human-induced disturbances, such as fire.  • Carbon is also released to the atmosphere as Carbon Dioxide (CO2) upon combustion of fossil fuels. Reference:http://www.scottishforestalliance.org.uk/carbon/factsheets.asp

  9. Atmospheric Carbon • Atmospheric Carbon goes to: • Oceans, soil, and plants • Atmospheric Carbon comes from: • Burning fossil fuels, soil organic carbon decomposition, and deforestation

  10. Global Warming • The Earth's surface temperature has risen by 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century, with accelerated warming during the past two decades. • Atmospheric greenhouse gases • water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases • Human activities • CO2 accounts for 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions Reference: http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/climate.html

  11. http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/envscinotes8.html

  12. Global Warming • Industrial revolution • atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased nearly 30% • methane concentrations have more than doubled • nitrous oxide concentrations have risen by about 15% • Enhanced the heat-trapping capability of the earth's atmosphere • Sulfate aerosols cool the atmosphere by reflecting light back into space • Sulfates are short-lived in the atmosphere and vary regionally.

  13. Greenhouse Effect • Emissions primarily of CO2 and methane http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/envscinotes8.html

  14. Processes of the “Greenhouse Effect” Source of Carbon http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CarbonCycle.html

  15. Greenhouse Gases Facts • Water vapor, nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide, and ozone • Methane traps over 21 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide • Nitrous oxide absorbs 270 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide

  16. Impacts on Agriculture http://www.fao.org/NEWS/FACTFILE/FF9721-E.HTM

  17. Carbon Sources and Sinks • Sources Sinks Industry (air pollution) Human Activity (Farming) Automobiles Fossil Fuel Burning Oceans Soils Forests

  18. Potential Carbon Sinks Reference: http://www.netl.doe.gov/coalpower/sequestration/

  19. Fossil Fuel Burning Emissions http://www.whrc.org/carbon/

  20. Sources/Sinks of C-sequestration Excessive carbon in the atmosphere has been a major contributor to global warming Atmospheric Carbon Reference: http://www.wri.org/wri/climate/carboncy.html

  21. http://www.met-office.gov.uk/research/hadleycentre/models/carbon_cycle/intro_global.htmlhttp://www.met-office.gov.uk/research/hadleycentre/models/carbon_cycle/intro_global.html

  22. World Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Region2001-2025(Million Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent)

  23. CENTURY Model (USDA-ARS) • Colorado State University Research Group • Model used to analyze carbon sequestration optimization • Web enabled • Linked to Purdue ITaP supercomputing facility • Century Website • http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/century/

  24. About the Model…. • Understanding of the biogeochemistry of Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur • Provide a tool for ecosystem analysis • to test the consistency of data (i.e. soil carbon) and to evaluate the effects of changes in management and climate on ecosystems

  25. Simulates…. • Long-term and spatial dynamics of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Sulfur (S) for different Plant-Soil Systems through an annual cycle to centuries and millennia • Features • grassland systems • agricultural crop systems • forest systems • savanna systems

  26. Scaling of Site Properties • We are defining the term “scale” in this project as the many combinations of climate, texture, tillage and crops • From location to location, site properties change • Those site properties include • Tillage • Soil texture • Climate • Crop

  27. Website

  28. Expectations After completion of assignment students are expected to: • Understand the concepts of carbon sequestration • Make decisions on carbon sequestration using the tools provided • State a hypothesis, test the hypothesis using the model and make decisions based on results

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