Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2023, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (3): 313-339.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2022.12.51

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Carbon sequestration, transport, transfer, and degassing: Insights into the deep carbon cycle

CHEN Xueqian(), ZHANG Lifei*()   

  1. School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
  • Received:2022-09-14 Revised:2022-12-15 Online:2023-05-25 Published:2023-04-27

Abstract:

Carbon plays a fundamental role in subduction zones in melting enhancement, magma genesis and evolution, and petrological/thermodynamic processes in the deep Earth. The occurrence state of carbon in the deep Earth is controlled by temperature, depth (pressure), oxygen fugacity, and fluid property. When carbon of various occurrence states is transported to the deep Earth via subducting slab and then returns to the atmosphere through degassing, the so-called ‘deep carbon cycle’ is realized. Carbonation/decarbonation reactions are the main mechanisms affecting carbon transfer between the solid Earth, the atmosphere, and the oceans. Carbonation processes include silicate weathering, hydrothermal alteration, trench outer-rise serpentinization, organic carbon burial, and reverse weathering; while carbon transport is achieved by subduction of depositional and metasomatic sediments. Surface carbon, when transported to the Earth’s interior, may be retained within the subducting slab, transferred into the upper mantle wedge, or recycled into the deep Earth depending on the depth and redox state under specific tectonic settings; that carbon is then returned to the atmosphere via decarbonation mechanism through volcanic degassing, diffuse degassing in the forearc, dissolution, metamorphism, and melting to maintain a carbon balance at subduction zones. This systematic review summarizes the carbon occurrence states, carbon movements and change of carbon-bearing phases during carbon sequestration, transport, transfer, and degassing relevant to deep carbon cycling and the related carbon fluxes, analyzes the reasons for the inconsistencies in carbon-flux estimates, and discusses future research directions. Since the industrial revolution anthropogenic CO2 emission has contributed greatly to global warming, exerting extra pressure on Earth as a self-regulating system. In the context of transition to a low-carbon economy, China adheres to energy conservation, carbon emission reduction, and forest growth, and aims to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 to address the world climate crisis.

Key words: deep carbon cycle, carbonation, decarbonation, anthropogenic CO2 emissions

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