Monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) approaches are urgently required to quantify site and OAE approach-specific effectiveness and assure their longevity. Efficient OAE applications with minimal risks will likely involve relatively small changes in marine (carbonate) chemistry relative to baseline conditions, first noticeable at application sites with diluted effects downstream. For MRV, this requires the implementation of fit-for-purpose measurement systems, especially mobile and point-measurement sensor-equipped in-situ platforms, that are integrated with data-assimilating models and will enable real-time signal detection and attribution. MRV site-specific baseline conditions, including seasonal cycle and short-term variability, have to be established and integrated into the models prior to OAE.
We will develop an integrated yet flexible approach to MRV using a framework that combines direct field observation and regional-scale data-assimilative modeling. We envision an integrated MRV framework that combines state-of-the-art observing components and a suite of physical-biogeochemical models with data assimilation capabilities to achieve the best possible estimates of the state of the carbonate system before, during, and after alkalinity additions and for delivering verifications and assessments of alkalinity changes and carbon uptake.
Key questions are:
