Nuclear Explosions for Large Scale Carbon Sequestration (2501.06623v1)

Abstract: Confronting the escalating threat of climate change requires innovative and large-scale interventions. This paper presents a bold proposal to employ a buried nuclear explosion in a remote basaltic seabed for pulverizing basalt, thereby accelerating carbon sequestration through Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW). By precisely locating the explosion beneath the seabed, we aim to confine debris, radiation, and energy while ensuring rapid rock weathering at a scale substantial enough to make a meaningful dent in atmospheric carbon levels. Our analysis outlines the parameters essential for efficient carbon capture and minimal collateral effects, emphasizing that a yield on the order of gigatons is critical for global climate impact. Although this approach may appear radical, we illustrate its feasibility by examining safety factors, preservation of local ecosystems, political considerations, and financial viability. This work argues for reimagining nuclear technology not merely as a destructive force but as a potential catalyst for decarbonization, thereby inviting further exploration of pioneering solutions in the fight against climate change.

• The paper proposes a novel method using an 81-gigaton nuclear explosion to pulverize basalt and sequester around 1.08 trillion tons of CO2.
• The study details engineering challenges and site selection beneath the Kerguelen Plateau to ensure efficient energy conversion and radiation containment.
• The analysis addresses significant political, safety, and financial hurdles while highlighting nuclear technology’s disruptive role in large-scale climate mitigation.

Nuclear Explosions for Large Scale Carbon Sequestration: An Analytical Overview

The exploration of innovative strategies for carbon sequestration has become imperative due to the escalating impacts of climate change, as detailed in the paper by Andy Haverly from the Rochester Institute of Technology. The paper proposes a provocative method: utilizing a buried nuclear explosion within a basaltic seabed to enhance rock weathering (ERW) for substantial atmospheric carbon dioxide removal.

The method of ERW is notable for its potential to sequester significant quantities of carbon dioxide through the accelerated chemical breakdown of silicate minerals like basalt. However, the logistical challenge of deploying ERW at an effective scale remains formidable due to the immense energy and resources needed to process vast amounts of rock. Historically, the peaceful application of nuclear explosions, such as studies under Project Plowshare, demonstrated the potential of large-scale geological material displacement but did not progress to deployment at the proposed scale.

Yield and Scale Considerations

The paper provides detailed calculations indicating that a nuclear yield in the gigaton range is necessary. This scale—substantially larger than the Tsar Bomba's 50 megatons—aims to sequester around 1.08 trillion tons of carbon dioxide by pulverizing around 3.86 trillion tons of basalt. An 81 gigaton nuclear explosion would need to be efficiently converted, with 90% of the energy devoted to pulverizing basalt, requiring innovative engineering solutions and assumptions about energy absorption and containment.

Logistics and Site Selection

The proposed site for the nuclear explosion is beneath the Kerguelen Plateau, chosen for its basalt-rich seabed and significant water coverage, leveraging the water's shock-absorbent properties to contain the explosion. The technical details include burying the nuclear device several kilometers into the seafloor, ensuring the detonation's energy is effectively absorbed, yet raising significant logistical and engineering challenges.

Safety and Environmental Impact

Safety analysis recognizes the inherent dangers associated with nuclear detonations, primarily radiation risks. The paper argues for the containment of radiation using existing technologies and choosing remote detonation sites to minimize human exposure. However, surface radiation and fallout remain unresolved risks. Contrastingly, the impacts of climate change pose a more extensive and diffuse threat, with projections underpinning the comparison of potential lives affected by climate-induced phenomena versus those by controlled nuclear detonation.

Political and Financial Feasibility

The proposition faces substantial political barriers, primarily due to international treaties restricting nuclear weapon testing. While acknowledging these obstacles, the authors suggest that the nonmilitary use for climate mitigation might allow for exceptional treaty discussions. Financial analysis presents a stark economic case, contrasting an estimated \$10 billion cost against the astronomical economic impacts of unchecked climate change, estimated at over \$100 trillion by 2100.

Implications and Future Directions

The paper provocatively rekindles discussions on the peaceful application of nuclear technology beyond electric power generation, highlighting its potential as a powerful tool in climate change mitigation. It invites further multidisciplinary research into overcoming the technical, environmental, and political challenges associated with such an undertaking. Additionally, the proposal underscores the critical need for innovative, large-scale interventions and may spur exploration into atypical solutions in carbon capture and storage (CCS).

In summary, the proposal is characterized as audacious and unprecedented in scale. It opens a new dialogue regarding the role of nuclear applications in environmental management and challenges the scientific community to revisit the boundaries of nuclear technology for planetary stewardship. This speculative approach calls for rigorous experimental research and broad international discourse to evaluate its viability within the context of global climate strategies.