3775-year-old wood burial supports “wood vaulting” as a durable carbon removal method

Abstract

Six-times more carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is removed each year by terrestrial photosynthesis than fossil fuel emissions. However, the carbon is mostly returned to the atmosphere by decomposition. We found a 3775-year-old ancient wood log buried 2 meters belowground that was preserved far beyond its expected lifetime. The wood had near-perfect preservation, with carbon loss less than 5% compared to a modern sample. The lack of decay is likely due to the low permeability of the compact clay soil at the burial site. Our observation suggests a hybrid nature-engineering approach for carbon removal by burying woody biomass in similar anoxic environments. We estimate a global sequestration potential of up to 10 gigatonnes CO 2 per year with existing technology at a low cost of $30 to $100 per tonne after optimization.