TY - BOOK

T1 - Glacial Rock Flour

T2 - its Characteristics and Enhanced Weathering Potential

AU - Ray Sarkar, Sneha

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Glacial rock flour is a fine-grained, clay-sized material produced as a result ofabrasion of the bedrock surface by the moving ice. In Greenland, gigatons of thesefreshly eroded mineral particles are being annually produced and deposited alongthe deltas, as well as are discharged into the North Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans.The suspended sediments are rich in nutrients and support marine biodiversity,especially in the summer, when the discharge is high. They are also reported topromote plant productivity in nutrient deficit soils. In Greenland their abundantdeposition along the fjord outlets, however, has led to an increase in delta size andtheir progradation. This unfortunately demands a frequent relocation of the docksfor a smooth functioning of waterways, which is the main means of transport inGreenland.While copious amounts of glacial rock flour deposition is a cause of distress amongthe Greenlandic community, it might be a boon for the global tribe. Anthropogenicclimate change is currently a human existential concern and understanding theoptions of CO2 removal from the atmosphere and their deployment is a matter ofurgency. Glacial rock flour consists of primary minerals such as feldspars and micathat consume CO2 in the presence of water and release base cations that areessential nutrients for plant growth. Their fineness is associated with a high specificsurface area, which enables their accelerated weathering capacity. Enhanced silicateweathering also releases bicarbonate ions that might contribute to ocean alkalinity.This thesis looks into the geochemical characteristics of glacial rock flour inGreenland and its reaction kinetics, as a step towards understanding the materialbetter and perhaps opening doors for further research into its applications.

AB - Glacial rock flour is a fine-grained, clay-sized material produced as a result ofabrasion of the bedrock surface by the moving ice. In Greenland, gigatons of thesefreshly eroded mineral particles are being annually produced and deposited alongthe deltas, as well as are discharged into the North Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans.The suspended sediments are rich in nutrients and support marine biodiversity,especially in the summer, when the discharge is high. They are also reported topromote plant productivity in nutrient deficit soils. In Greenland their abundantdeposition along the fjord outlets, however, has led to an increase in delta size andtheir progradation. This unfortunately demands a frequent relocation of the docksfor a smooth functioning of waterways, which is the main means of transport inGreenland.While copious amounts of glacial rock flour deposition is a cause of distress amongthe Greenlandic community, it might be a boon for the global tribe. Anthropogenicclimate change is currently a human existential concern and understanding theoptions of CO2 removal from the atmosphere and their deployment is a matter ofurgency. Glacial rock flour consists of primary minerals such as feldspars and micathat consume CO2 in the presence of water and release base cations that areessential nutrients for plant growth. Their fineness is associated with a high specificsurface area, which enables their accelerated weathering capacity. Enhanced silicateweathering also releases bicarbonate ions that might contribute to ocean alkalinity.This thesis looks into the geochemical characteristics of glacial rock flour inGreenland and its reaction kinetics, as a step towards understanding the materialbetter and perhaps opening doors for further research into its applications.

M3 - Ph.D. thesis

BT - Glacial Rock Flour

PB - GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

ER -