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SUMMARY:Pumping iron to save the planet? - Dr Cliff Laws (NIWA)
DTSTART:20091126T123000Z
DTEND:20091126T133000Z
UID:TALK21560@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Sophie Fielding
DESCRIPTION:Various geoengineering approaches are currently being consider
 ed to arrest the build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere. Of these\, ocean ferti
 lisation by the addition of iron is receiving considerable attention\, inc
 luding significant commercial interest and activity. Provisionally the evi
 dence from the 12 mesoscale iron addition experiments appears promising as
  these have all stimulated phytoplankton growth\, with the resulting bloom
 s often visible in satellite ocean colour images. However evidence for the
  subsequent increased transfer of the additional particulate carbon into t
 he deep ocean is limited. Furthermore\, analysis of iron:carbon ratios and
  models of large-scale ocean fertilisation indicate that the effectiveness
  of carbon sequestration is less than initially estimated. The feasibility
  of large scale fertilisation\, in terms of practicality and verification\
 , presents major challenges and potential side-effects such as enhanced tr
 ace gas production\, oxygen depletion and far-field nutrient depletion rem
 ain areas of concern. Until recently international legislation on ocean fe
 rtilisation has been lacking\, although efforts are now underway to includ
 e ocean fertilisation in an amendment to the London Convention on Dumping.
  This talk will examine the results of previous iron addition experiments 
 in the context of ocean fertilisation\, and the issues relating to its app
 lication as a geoengineering option for ocean carbon sequestration.
LOCATION:British Antarctic Survey\, Room 330B
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