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Environmental Science
Grade 9-12
Carbon Sequestration Methods Cheat Sheet
A printable reference covering photosynthesis, soil carbon storage, ocean uptake, carbon capture and storage, and net carbon removal for grades 9-12.
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Carbon sequestration methods are ways to capture and store carbon dioxide so less of it remains in the atmosphere. This cheat sheet helps students compare natural, engineered, and hybrid methods used to slow climate change. It is useful for understanding how forests, soils, oceans, rocks, and technology can store carbon over different time scales. Students should use it to connect carbon cycle science with real environmental solutions.
Key Facts
- Photosynthesis stores carbon when plants use 6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy -> C6H12O6 + 6O2.
- Net carbon removal can be estimated as CO2 removed - CO2 emitted during the sequestration process.
- One metric ton of carbon equals about 3.67 metric tons of CO2 because CO2 has a molar mass of 44 and carbon has a molar mass of 12.
- Afforestation means planting forests where forests were not recently present, while reforestation means replanting forests where they were removed.
- Soil carbon sequestration increases when plant residue, compost, reduced tillage, cover crops, and deep roots add more carbon than decomposition releases.
- Carbon capture and storage, or CCS, captures CO2 from industrial sources and injects it into deep geologic formations for long-term storage.
- Mineral carbonation stores carbon when CO2 reacts with minerals to form stable carbonate rocks, such as CaCO3 or MgCO3.
- A sequestration method is most effective when storage is additional, measurable, long-lasting, and not easily reversed by fire, land-use change, or leakage.
Vocabulary
- Carbon sequestration
- Carbon sequestration is the capture and storage of carbon dioxide or carbon in plants, soils, oceans, rocks, or underground reservoirs.
- Carbon sink
- A carbon sink is a system that absorbs more carbon than it releases over a given time period.
- Afforestation
- Afforestation is the planting of trees in an area that has not recently been forested.
- Carbon capture and storage
- Carbon capture and storage is a technology that captures CO2 from emissions sources and stores it deep underground.
- Biochar
- Biochar is charcoal-like material made from biomass that can store carbon in soil for long periods.
- Mineral carbonation
- Mineral carbonation is the reaction of CO2 with certain minerals to form stable solid carbonate compounds.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing carbon with carbon dioxide is wrong because carbon mass and CO2 mass are not the same. To convert carbon to CO2, multiply by 44/12, or about 3.67.
- Counting all tree growth as permanent storage is wrong because forests can release stored carbon through fire, disease, logging, or decomposition.
- Ignoring emissions from the sequestration process is wrong because equipment, transport, fertilizer, and energy use can reduce net carbon removal.
- Assuming every carbon sink works at the same speed is wrong because forests, soils, oceans, rocks, and geologic storage operate over very different time scales.
- Treating carbon capture as the same as emission reduction is wrong because capture can store CO2, but it does not automatically reduce fossil fuel use or other pollutants.
Practice Questions
- 1 A restoration project stores 500 metric tons of carbon in trees and soil. About how many metric tons of CO2 does this represent?
- 2 A carbon capture facility removes 1,200 metric tons of CO2 but emits 180 metric tons of CO2 to run equipment. What is the net CO2 removed?
- 3 A farm adds cover crops and reduces tillage, increasing soil carbon by 2.5 metric tons of carbon per hectare each year across 40 hectares. How many metric tons of carbon are added each year?
- 4 Why is it important to consider permanence and leakage when comparing forests, soil carbon, and underground geologic storage?