A preliminary study on the inorganic carbon sink function of mineral weathering during sediment transport in the Yangtze River mainstream

This study proposed that the dissolution of calcium and magnesium minerals in river sediment could sequester CO2 and function as a carbon sink. Based on the published study, the contents and chemical and mineral compositions of the suspended particulate materials in the Yangtze River and their geological environmental implications by Ding Tiping, the contents of CaO, MgO, calcite and dolomite in suspended sediment collected from 25 sampling points in the mainstream and 13 sampling points in the tributaries of the Yangtze River in 4 sampling campaigns during 2003-2007 were used to calculate the total inorganic carbon sink (TCS) capacity and nonsubstantial and substantial inorganic carbon sink (NSCS and SCS) capacities of suspended sediment along the river. Due to the reduction in the sediment yield, the TCS, NSCS and SCS of the Cuntan-Datong section during 2006-2019 decreased by 18.52 x 10(6) tons, 12.24 x 10(6) tons and 8.72 x 10(6) tons, respectively, compared to the period before 2002. The average annual sedimentation of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) was 114.5 x 10(6) tons, and the related TCS and SCS losses were 6.76 x 10(6) tons and 2.29 x 10(6) tons, respectively, which were equivalent to 7.9 and 2.7 percent of the 85.8 x 10(6) tons of CO2 emissions reduced by the clean energy production of the Three Gorges Hydropower Station. The TCS of global rivers was estimated as 757 x 10(6) tons (the SCS was more than one quarter of the TCS), which is equivalent to 71.6% of the TCS by global rock weathering with 1.06 x 10(9) tons of sequestered CO2. The collision and erosion of river sediment caused by turbulence in the processes of sediment transport (off-site rock weathering) could promote the dissolution of minerals. Therefore, it is reasonable that the dissolution rate of calcium and magnesium minerals for offsite rock weathering was much higher than that for in situ rock weathering.

Automated summary

This study suggests that the dissolution of calcium and magnesium minerals in river sediment can sequester CO2 and serve as a carbon sink. The findings show that the calcium and magnesium content in suspended sediment in the Yangtze River is related to the inorganic carbon sink capacity, and a decrease in sediment yield leads to a reduction in carbon sequestration. The total inorganic carbon sink capacity of global rivers accounts for approximately 71.6% of the CO2 fixed by global rock weathering.