A flexible, multiscale quantification framework for river alkalinity enhancement

Alkalinity enhancement in rivers is a proposed carbon dioxide removal strategy which leverages physical and biogeochemical properties of rivers to promote uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Robust monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon dioxide removal is necessary to instill trust in carbon credits and market activity stemming from river alkalinity enhancement. Rivers have the unique characteristic of reflecting integrated watershed characteristics along a one-dimensional trajectory. Depending on the size of the river, alkalinity dosing location and quantity, transit distance to the ocean and availability of monitoring locations, carbon dioxide uptake can be quantified through a hybrid approach leveraging direct measurements and models. In this poster, we propose a flexible, multiscale quantification framework which can be adapted to a wide range of rivers and deployment scenarios.