Question map
Consider the following activities : 1. Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively 2. Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime 3. Capturing carbon dioxide released by various industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated waters How many of the above activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 3 (All three) because each activity represents a scientifically recognized method for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) or carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
- Activity 1 (Enhanced Weathering): Spreading ground basalt on soil accelerates natural chemical weathering. Basalt reacts with atmospheric CO2 to form stable carbonates, effectively locking carbon in the soil and oceans for millennia.
- Activity 2 (Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement): Adding alkaline substances like lime (calcium oxide) to oceans neutralizes acidity and enhances the water's capacity to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through chemical equilibrium.
- Activity 3 (Geological Sequestration): Pumping carbonated water (CO2 dissolved in water) into subterranean sites, such as basaltic formations or abandoned mines, facilitates "mineral carbonation." Projects like Iceland's Carbfix demonstrate that CO2 injected this way reacts with host rocks to turn into solid minerals.
Since all three techniques are actively discussed in climate mitigation strategies to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, Option 3 is the most comprehensive and accurate choice.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis question tests 'Frontier Climate Tech'—specifically Geoengineering and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). It punishes reliance on static textbooks (which only cover basic afforestation/CCS) and rewards aspirants who track 'Climate Solutions' in science news (DownToEarth, The Hindu S&T, IPCC reports).
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmland (enhanced weathering) commonly discussed as a carbon capture and sequestration method?
- Statement 2: Is increasing ocean alkalinity by adding lime (ocean liming / alkalinity enhancement) commonly discussed as a carbon capture and sequestration method?
- Statement 3: Is capturing carbon dioxide from industries and pumping it into abandoned subterranean mines in the form of carbonated water commonly discussed as a carbon capture and sequestration method?
- Explicitly uses the term “enhanced weathering” in the context of spreading finely ground minerals to increase CO2 sequestration.
- Describes the specific action of “spreading finely ground alkaline substances” as a method for increasing ocean CO2 uptake, showing enhanced-weathering concepts are discussed as carbon removal.
- Describes marine enhanced rock weathering (mERW) where finely ground silicate minerals are spread in coastal zones to release alkalinity.
- Shows the enhanced-weathering approach (spreading ground silicates) is discussed as a means to enhance alkalinity and thus carbon sequestration — albeit in marine/coastal settings rather than farmland.
Describes chemical weathering processes driven by water, CO2 and acids that decompose rocks to finer material — establishing that weathering reactions involve atmospheric CO2.
A student could combine this with the basic fact that some silicate rocks react with CO2 when weathered to infer that deliberately increasing rock surface area (grinding basalt) might increase CO2 uptake.
Explains that chemical weathering (including carbonation) is accelerated by water, CO2 and biological acids, implying weathering can be enhanced by environmental contact.
One could extend this to ask whether spreading fine rock on soil increases contact with water/CO2 and therefore enhances CO2-consuming weathering reactions.
States that biogeochemical cycles include phases of weathering of rocks and that the carbon cycle is tied to weathering processes.
A student might link this to the idea that altering the weathering phase (more reactive rock exposed) could influence carbon flow from atmosphere into minerals or soils.
Defines artificial carbon sinks and lists carbon capture and storage proposals as an approach to store carbon for indefinite periods.
Use this to frame enhanced weathering as a candidate 'artificial sink' hypothesis to investigate in literature or policy discussions.
Notes carbon capture/ sequestration is an established category of mitigation and that artificial sinks (besides natural ones) are considered strategies.
This supports searching within carbon-capture topics for specific methods (e.g., enhanced weathering of rocks) as potential proposals under that umbrella.
- Clearly identifies ocean liming — adding lime (CaO) or portlandite (Ca(OH)2) — as a proposed intervention.
- Describes specific schemes explored for adding lime to the surface ocean, linking the method to intentional intervention in ocean chemistry.
- Explicitly frames ocean alkalinity enhancement as an mCDR (marine carbon dioxide removal) approach.
- Describes the mechanism: adding alkalinity to convert dissolved inorganic CO2 into bicarbonates, tying the method to carbon removal.
- States that interest in ocean liming and ocean alkalinity for carbon storage has been the subject of technoeconomic reexamination.
- Connects ocean liming explicitly to carbon storage and debates about geoengineering, indicating it is discussed in the carbon removal context.
Lists 'Ocean Sequestration' as a category of carbon sequestration, including direct injection or fertilization, indicating oceans are considered a potential carbon storage route.
A student could take this category and look for where 'alkalinity enhancement' or 'liming' is discussed within ocean sequestration literature as a specific technique.
Describes 'buffering' by adding lime (calcium oxide/calcium carbonate) to neutralize acidified water — showing lime raises pH and reacts with dissolved CO2 in aquatic contexts.
A student could infer that adding lime to seawater would similarly increase alkalinity and then check whether this reaction would convert dissolved CO2 into carbonate forms for storage.
Explains the chemical reactions of CO2 with seawater producing carbonic acid, bicarbonate and reducing carbonate ions — laying out the chemical basis that altering carbonate chemistry changes CO2 speciation.
Combine this reaction knowledge with lime's neutralizing effect to assess whether added alkalinity would shift equilibria toward bicarbonate/carbonate and thereby affect CO2 uptake/storage.
Notes that CaCO3 (from shells) sinking to sediments can be buried and 'locked away' or dissolved at depth, implying that formation and fate of calcium carbonate affects long-term carbon storage in the ocean.
A student could use this to judge whether lime-induced carbonate precipitation would lead to durable sequestration (burial) versus re-release by dissolution depending on depth/CCD.
Shows the concrete reaction: calcium hydroxide (lime) reacts with CO2 to form calcium carbonate and water, an example of lime capturing CO2 in a solid form.
A student could extrapolate that adding lime to seawater might similarly convert dissolved CO2 into solid carbonate, then investigate whether that process is discussed as a CCS method.
Defines Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as capturing CO₂ at industrial sites and permanently storing it underground.
A student could ask whether 'underground storage' in CCS literature includes abandoned mines (vs. dedicated saline aquifers) to judge if mine injection is commonly discussed.
Describes geologic sequestration mechanisms, including solubility trapping and mineral carbonation, showing CO₂ can be stored in subsurface fluids and minerals.
Use this to evaluate if injecting CO₂ as dissolved/carbonated water into subterranean voids could achieve solubility or mineral trapping in mines.
Explains 'carbonation' chemistry: CO₂ dissolves in water to form carbonic acid, bicarbonates and carbonates that react with calcium-bearing rocks.
Combine with knowledge that many mines intersect rock (e.g., limestone) to assess chemical consequences and feasibility of injecting carbonated water into mines.
Notes that limestone is soluble in carbonated water and that carbonated water transports and deposits calcium carbonate in caves.
A student could infer that injecting carbonated water into mines in carbonate rock could dissolve or precipitate minerals, affecting storage security and commonality of the approach.
Discusses formation of carbonic acid from atmospheric CO₂ and its role in dissolving limestone (karst processes), illustrating natural analogues of CO₂-rich water reacting underground.
Use this natural example to evaluate whether engineered injection of CO₂-laden water into underground cavities is analogous and thus plausible to find in CCS discussions.
- [THE VERDICT]: Current Affairs Sitter. These are not obscure theories; they are the headline 'Geoengineering' proposals found in the IPCC AR6 report and major science dailies.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Mitigation Strategies > Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). The syllabus has shifted from 'How Global Warming happens' to 'Engineering solutions to fix it'.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Map the Geoengineering Tree: 1) Solar Radiation Management (Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, Marine Cloud Brightening, Space Mirrors); 2) CDR (Ocean Iron Fertilization, Enhanced Weathering, Biochar, BECCS, Direct Air Capture). Know the *mechanism* (e.g., Iron -> Algae -> CO2 sink).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When reading about a new climate tech (e.g., 'Iceland turns CO2 into stone'), extract the *process*. Don't just memorize the project name (CarbFix); memorize the method (Basalt + CO2 water = Mineralization). That is Statement 3.
CCS is a principal mitigation approach listed alongside emission reductions and is presented as an artificial method to store carbon long-term.
High-yield for questions on climate mitigation policy and technologies; links to energy, industry and land-use topics. Knowing CCS helps answer questions on technological vs behavioural mitigation options and policy measures.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 17: Climate Change > Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions > p. 256
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 21: Mitigation Strategies > zr.r.r. Sinks > p. 281
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > carBon SInK. > p. 57
Carbon sinks can be natural (forests, soils, oceans) or artificial (landfills, engineered carbon storage) and determine where captured carbon is stored.
Essential for questions on carbon budgeting, ecosystem services and restoration policies; clarifies trade-offs between conserving ecosystems and deploying engineered storage solutions. Enables comparisons in MCQ and mains answers about permanence and scale of sinks.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 6: Environmental Degradation and Management > carBon SInK. > p. 57
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 21: Mitigation Strategies > zr.r.r. Sinks > p. 281
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 2: Functions of an Ecosystem > L) The Carbon Cycle > p. 19
Chemical weathering processes move carbon between atmosphere, soils and oceans by converting CO2 into dissolved carbonates and other minerals.
Useful for bridging physical geography and climate topics; explains geochemical pathways that underpin concepts like long-term carbon sequestration and land-based mitigation ideas. Prepares aspirants for questions linking geomorphic processes to biogeochemical cycles.
- FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Geomorphic Processes > Chemical Weathering Processes > p. 40
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 1: BASIC CONCEPTS OF ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY > BiogEochEmical cyclEs. > p. 18
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 2: Functions of an Ecosystem > L) The Carbon Cycle > p. 19
Uptake of atmospheric CO2 by seawater forms carbonic acid, increases hydrogen ion concentration and reduces carbonate ion availability, driving ocean acidification.
High-yield for environment and climate questions: explains why CO2 impacts marine life (shell formation, corals) and links chemistry to ecological consequences. Useful for questions on impacts of climate change, ocean ecosystems, and policy measures addressing acidification.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 18: Ocean Acidification > 18.I. OCEAN ACIDIFICATION > p. 263
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 18: Ocean Acidification > How it reacts? > p. 264
Calcium hydroxide (lime) reacts with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate and water, showing a chemical pathway for neutralizing CO2 in aqueous systems.
Important for connecting basic chemical reactions to mitigation options: helps reason about buffering, neutralization, and potential permanence of carbon stored as carbonate. Useful in interdisciplinary questions linking chemistry and environmental mitigation.
- Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: Changes Around Us: Physical and Chemical > Fig. 5.2: Blowing air in (a) tap water; (b) lime water > p. 61
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 8: Nature of Matter: Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures > Activity 8.1: Let us experiment > p. 119
- Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Acids, Bases and Salts > 2.1.6 Reaction of a Non-metallic Oxide with Base > p. 22
Carbon sequestration approaches include ocean methods (e.g., direct injection, fertilization), geologic storage, and terrestrial sinks; chemical buffering (adding lime) is used to raise pH in acidified waters.
Valuable for framing answers on mitigation strategies: distinguishes broad sequestration categories and situates ocean-based options within policy debates. Enables comparative questions on pros/cons of sequestration routes and environmental trade-offs.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 21: Mitigation Strategies > zt.r.2. $rpes of Sequestration: > p. 281
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > S.r5.7. Control Measures: > p. 106
CCS is the set of technologies that capture CO₂ from power plants or industry and store it underground to mitigate global warming.
High-yield for UPSC because CCS is a core mitigation strategy in climate policy questions and links energy, industry, and environmental governance. Mastery helps answer questions on mitigation options, techno-policy trade-offs, and national strategies for emissions reduction.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 21: Mitigation Strategies > 21.1. CARBON SEQUESTRATTON: > p. 281
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 17: Climate Change > Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions > p. 256
Ocean Iron Fertilization. This is the logical sibling to Ocean Liming (Statement 2). It involves adding iron to iron-poor ocean regions to stimulate phytoplankton blooms, which absorb CO2 and sink. Expect a question on its ecological risks (e.g., toxic algal blooms).
The 'Scientific Plausibility' Heuristic. In 'Future Tech' questions, ask: Is the underlying science real? Basalt weathers naturally to absorb CO2 (Statement 1). Lime is a base that neutralizes acid/CO2 (Statement 2). If the chemistry works, the method is definitely 'discussed' by scientists. Trust the science; mark 'All three'.
Bridge to Mains GS-2 (IR) & GS-4 (Ethics): 'Geoengineering Governance'. If Country A sprays aerosols to cool itself but disrupts the Monsoon for Country B, it creates a geopolitical conflict. Who has the right to touch the global thermostat?