In situ carbonation of peridotite for CO 2 storage

The rate of natural carbonation of tectonically exposed mantle peridotite during weathering and low-temperature alteration can be enhanced to develop a significant sink for atmospheric CO 2 . Natural carbonation of peridotite in the Samail ophiolite, an uplifted slice of oceanic crust and upper mantle in the Sultanate of Oman, is surprisingly rapid. Carbonate veins in mantle peridotite in Oman have an average 14 C age of ≈26,000 years, and are not 30–95 million years old as previously believed. These data and reconnaissance mapping show that ≈10 4 to 10 5 tons per year of atmospheric CO 2 are converted to solid carbonate minerals via peridotite weathering in Oman. Peridotite carbonation can be accelerated via…