One Proposal to Mitigate the Effects of Burning Fossil Fuels

question 110

Multiple Choice

One proposal to mitigate the effects of burning fossil fuels on atmospheric CO₂ concentrations is to pipe liquid CO₂ into the ocean at depths of 2,500 feet or greater. At the high pressures at such depths, CO₂ is heavier than water. What potential effects might result from implementing such a scheme?

• A) increased photosynthetic carbon fixation because of the increased dissolved carbon dioxide in the deep water
• B) increased carbonate concentrations in the deep waters
• C) increased growth of corals from a change in the carbonate-bicarbonate equilibrium
• D) no effect because carbon dioxide is not soluble in water
• E) changes in the growth of deep sea-dwelling organisms with calcium carbonate shells

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Definitions:

Uplifted

Raised or elevated geological formations, often due to tectonic movements.

Parallel

Lines or planes that are equally distant from each other at all points, never meeting or intersecting.

Physically Loosen

The process of breaking up compacted or consolidated materials, making them less dense and easier to move or erode.

Water Contracting

A physical phenomenon where water decreases in volume under certain conditions, contrary to the usual expansion upon cooling.