Publication Date:
2024-01-31
Description:
Limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires a large-scale removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The oceans have been proposed as one possible storage option, however, not without environmental consequences. Adverse impacts on ecosystems are expected to increase in the amount of carbon stored. The question arises whether the removed carbon should be stored in a small area, e.g. a bay, or spread out across the oceans. We study this question in an analytic model with two types of ocean boxes, characterised by their carbon content. Storing a lot of carbon in the small box (a bay) may cause the local ecosystem to cross a tipping point, whereas spreading out in the large box (the rest of the ocean) may avoid this, while still causing ecosystem damages. The model gives rise to two different steady state solutions. A “destroy” steady state, where the tipping point in the small ocean box has been crossed, and a “diffuse” steady state without destruction. We analytically and numerically study the optimal amount of carbon stored, and the optimal distribution of carbon sequestration across the two boxes.
Type:
Report
,
NonPeerReviewed
,
info:eu-repo/semantics/book
Format:
text
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