CSEi Undergraduate RA | Ocean Alkalinity - Chemistry Analysis
Undergraduate Research Assistant: Measuring the dissolution of alkaline materials for ocean alkalinity enhancement
About the project
Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) is a promising carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approach for mitigating climate change, alongside aggressive decarbonization across industries. At the Climate System Engineering initiative (CSEi), we work on practical questions surrounding OAE: how efficient the approach can really be, and how the process should be designed so that alkaline material can be produced with minimal environmental impact, maximum CDR potential, and at a manageable cost.
For OAE to work, alkalinity must be released into surface seawater, where the water is in contact with atmospheric CO₂. As the added alkalinity shifts the carbonate chemistry of the seawater, it drives increased uptake of CO₂ and its longer-term storage as dissolved carbon ions. With this in mind, we are investigating the alkalinity-release potential of alkaline minerals - such as lime products (widely used in industries like construction), basalt, and mining wastes - in the context of open-ocean CDR.
To do this, we measure how fast mineral particles dissolve in seawater and compare that with how fast they sink. Tracking dissolution tells us how much alkalinity a given material can release, and how quickly - a key input for estimating its real CDR potential.
The role
We are looking for an undergraduate student to:
- Prepare and run dissolution experiments, measuring how alkalinity and carbonate chemistry change as minerals dissolve in seawater (using alkalinity titration and pH)
- Help analyze the resulting data and track dissolution rates over time
- Compare the results with complementary sinking-velocity experiments to assess the CDR potential of different alkaline materials
What we're looking for:
- Interest in climate, oceans or geochemistry (prior lab experience welcome)
- Careful, reliable attention to experimental detail