Some of these rocks are hard at work, naturally reacting with carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turning it into stone. Carbonate veins form when water containing dissolved carbon dioxide flows through these rocks. Rocks could remove some of the billions of tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide that humans have pumped into the air since the beginning of the Industrial Age. “You might clog everything up, and it would all come to a screeching halt,” Dr. Kelemen said. Dr. Kelemen and Dr. Aines have had preliminary discussions with California officials about the possibility of experimenting there.

Source: New York Times April 27, 2018 02:26 UTC