Terrestrial Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide

Terrestrial Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide November 2010 National Energy Technology Laboratory www.netl.doe.gov Carbon (C) is an essential element for sustaining life. It can be found naturally in organic and inorganic forms with a very small exchange rate between them. At about 18 percent (about 50 percent on a dry basis), the concentration of C in living matter is almost 100 times greater than the average concentration in the earth (0.19 percent). Thus, for life to continue, carbon must be recycled. This is accomplished primarily by photoautotrophs that use light energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide (CO2 ) in the atmosphere to organic matter by photosynthesis. This carbon is returned to the atmosphere as CO2 by respiration, combustion, and decay.