Update on post from last week on my blog...The research was funded by in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, according to an August 7 Harvard press release.
The researchers found that deep-sea sediment could become a virtually unlimited and permanent reservoir for this gas, which has been a primary driver of global climate change in recent decades.
Deep-sea ocean floor sediment is made up of tiny particles of sand, silt, clay and animal skeletons that have settled on the ocean bottom. Over time, the particles become compressed and form stratified layers. The scientists estimate that seafloor sediments in U.S. territory are vast enough to store the nation's carbon dioxide emissions for thousands of years.
(See
related article.)