Friday, January 8th, 2010

Carbon Sequestration

Basalt formations off the East Coast of the U.S. could hold a billion of tons of carbon dioxide, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Paul Olsen, of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, takes us to a basalt quarry in New Jersey and explains what makes the rock ideal for soaking up emissions. En Español. (Credits: Production assistance from Shelley DuBois. Produced by Flora Lichtman) See More Videos

New research says that basalt formations in the Northeastern US could serve as massive sinks for the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. The deposits of volcanic rock found in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts and under the ocean just offshore could absorb pumped-in carbon dioxide and, through chemical reactions within the rock, lock it into a form resembling limestone, researchers say. The work was reported this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. We'll talk with one of the authors.