capturing and long-term storage of carbon. Most often used in reference to the capturing and retention of atmospheric carbon dioxide through biological. chemical. or physical processes. Trees sequester carbon through photosynthesis.

Schematic showing both terrestrial and geological sequestration of carbon dioxide emissions from a coal-fired plant.

Carbon sequestration is the process involved in carbon capture and the long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide or other forms of carbon to mitigate or defer global warming. It has been proposed as a way to slow the atmospheric and marine accumulation of greenhouse gases, which are released by burning fossil fuels.

Carbon dioxide (CO
2
) is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes. Artificial processes have been devised to produce similar effects, including large-scale, artificial capture and sequestration of industrially produced CO
2
using subsurface saline aquifers, reservoirs, ocean water, aging oil fields, or other carbon sinks.

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