Advanced Instrumentation for In Situ Field Monitoring of Soil Carbon Sequestration

Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased considerably since the mid-1800s and are projected to increase even further during the coming century. This rapid increase in CO2 concentration corresponds with increases in the combustion of fossil fuel, changes in agricultural land use, and deforestation since the beginning of the industrial age. These observations have prompted scientists and policy-makers to consider options for stabilizing energy-related increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration. A continued move towards energy conservation and a commitment to renewable energy resources offers a range of socially-acceptable options for mitigating further increases in CO2 concentrations. Additional mitigation opportunities also exist, including the implementation of innovative technologies for carbon sequestration in geologic formations, ocean sequestration, direct capture and separation, advanced biological and chemical approaches to carbon management, and enhanced carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems (DOE Carbon Sequestration Roadmap, 1999).