Expected Limits on the Potential for Carbon Dioxide Removal From Artificial Upwelling

Artificial upwelling, the engineered upward pumping of deep ocean water, has long been proposed as a technique to fertilize and, more recently, remove atmospheric carbon dioxide. This study investigated potential artificial upwelling contribute dioxide removal using simple model with high-resolution (1° × 1°) gridded monthly climatologies upper and physical chemical properties. The for was explored across range observationally-informed carbon-to-nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios microalgae macroalgae communities, providing information on sensitivity estimates any assumed carbon-to-nutrient ratios. Simulated tropical-to-subpolar did not exceed 0.66 tons per square kilometer year microalgae, 0.85 macroalgae. Using current technology, estimated global aggregate less than 50 megatons (0.05 gigatons) annually approximately 100 (0.1 annually. While controlled field trials are needed validate or invalidate findings this study, suggests that is unlikely support annual at, close to, rate one gigaton