The Outer Banks: A Fresh Approach to Fighting Climate Change with Sand
Duck, N.C. — Here on the beautiful Outer Banks, sand isn’t just something pretty to lounge on. It’s a vital part of how the area maintains its infrastructure and tackles the ongoing battle against shoreline erosion. This summer, a groundbreaking experiment is gearing up off the coast of Duck that’s aimed at not only bolstering local beach nourishment projects but also chipping away at climate change!
What’s the Scoop?
Vesta, a public benefit corporation, is ready to make waves – literally! They’re planning to introduce a naturally occurring mineral called olivine, ground down and blended with sand, to the ocean. So why olivine? This mineral is believed to assist in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) from our atmosphere and locking it away safely underwater. Think of it as a nature-based solution to an urgent problem.
The olivine project falls under a cool category known as ocean alkalization. This process boosts the pH level of ocean water to make it less acidic. And here’s the kicker: excess CO2 in the air doesn’t just hang there; it dissolves into seawater, leading to a more acidic ocean. For billions of years, this natural CO2 has been teaming up with magnesium to form a kind of salt that eventually sinks to the murky depths of the sea!
How Does It Work?
Team Vesta believes that by grinding olivine into finer sand, they can speed up this natural process. The project’s senior scientist, Jaclyn Cetiner, explains it simply: “We’re just extracting that mineral and making it dissolve faster.” Instead of waiting for thousands of years to see results, they’re looking to speed things up to just a couple of decades!
Big Plans Ahead!
Mark your calendars for Spring 2024! Vesta plans to deploy a whopping 6,150 cubic yards of olivine about 1,500 feet off Duck’s coast, in collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers. This exciting venture marks their second pilot project after a first test that took place in Southampton, New York. So far, the results from that project have looked promising, with evidence of real carbon removal being recorded shortly after deployment.
Why Duck? Well, it’s an ideal spot for this venture! The Outer Banks’ wild coastal winds and waves will allow Vesta to study how well the olivine dissolves in open ocean conditions and how far the sediment might travel!
Staying Cautious
While excitement buzzes in the air, there are also some concerns. Critics of ocean alkalization projects warn that while they can help make the oceans less acidic, too much modification might tip the balance of ocean chemistry. There’s also the fear that the nutrients in olivine could — yikes! — lead to algae overgrowth.
Let’s not forget the mining factor as well. While olivine is widely available on Earth, mining it does carry environmental consequences. Although it’s less harmful than mining for things like lithium, any mining can have some level of impact. For the Duck project, the olivine is sourced from Norway, which introduces transportation costs and emissions – not exactly the best scenario for reducing net carbon capture.
A Bright Future?
Vesta aims to target local beaches within 190 miles of their olivine source to limit transportation emissions in the future. Plus, did we mention that olivine has a slightly green hue? Some folks might find this less appealing compared to the quintessential white sand beaches, but fear not! The local sand already has a yellow-brown tint, meaning that with olivine mixed in, it could actually look even lighter!
In the end, this dynamic duo of carbon capture and sand nourishment could open new doors in how we tackle coastal erosion while simultaneously making a dent in climate change. As Vesta conducts their baseline measurements this fall and winter, they’re gearing up to surprise both locals and visitors alike with an innovative solution that could transform beach restoration projects into effective carbon sinks.
The fun hasn’t even started yet, but if all goes as planned, visitors to the Outer Banks may just find that the beaches are not only beautiful, but green, too!
