Pelayo Gonzalez Escalada Mena and Felipe Cifuentes
January 10, 2025
Covering fields in rock dust could help fight climate change, improve soil quality and crop yields, and even help reverse ocean acidification. This approach could absorb huge amounts of CO2 if used globally.
Farmers spread a crushed volcanic rock called basalt onto their fields. Rain absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere as it falls. It reacts with the volcanic dust to form carbonates, which are minerals that lock in carbon. These minerals help farmers by replenishing depleted soils. Eventually, they are washed into the sea, where they reduce ocean acidification.
The potential benefits of covering fields in rock dust are significant. It could help to:
The cost of covering fields in rock dust is relatively low. The main challenge is the logistics of transporting and spreading the rock dust. However, this could be overcome by using local sources of rock dust and developing efficient spreading methods.
Scientists recommend focusing on tropical regions for this approach, as the weathering process works faster in warmer environments. This also means that it will keep working as climate change turns up the heat.
Pelayo Gonzalez Escalada Mena and Felipe Cifuentes
January 10, 2025