Northumbria University Researchers using Tempcon's HOBO logger

An interesting research project led by Northumbria University Researchers, determining whether planting trees on limestone will cause the release of geological carbon through accelerated weathering.

 

Professor Mike Rogerson explains more about the project: ‘’The impact of tree planting on release and storage of inorganic carbon in soil and within underlying bedrock has been mostly overlooked. Weathering of limestone bedrock may increase carbon sequestration ("Coupled Carbonate Weathering") or might release fossil carbon to the atmosphere. Unlike carbon sequestered by tree growth, this will not cease when the trees reach maturity but will continue indefinitely. So we don't really know if tree planting on limestone areas will sequester carbon really efficiently, or actually be a source of CO2. This knowledge gap means that the carbon sequestration achieved by tree-planting on bedrock with substantial carbonate content (about 1/4 of Great Britain) cannot be confidently predicted. We will provide the knowledge needed to make this prediction’’.

 

Technology supplied by Tempcon:

·        2 x HOBO CO2 / temperature loggers https://www.tempcon.co.uk/hobo-mx1102-bluetooth-co2-temp-rh-data-logger

·        2 x HOBO pH loggers https://www.tempcon.co.uk/hobo-mx2501-bluetooth-ph-temperature-data-logger

·        2 x HOBO conductivity loggers https://www.tempcon.co.uk/hobo-u24-001-hobo-conductivity-data-logger

 

Northumbria University Researchers explain what they will use the equipment for: ‘’with additional sponsorship from Tempcon Instrumentation the team will collect hundreds of samples in all weathers and at all times of the day and night to look at whether different tree cover results in different rates of carbon loss from limestone bedrock and whether most of the dissolved inorganic carbon does end up in the ocean as opposed to the atmosphere’’

 

You can read more about the project here: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/news/key-question-around-limestone-carbon-capture-to-be-answered-by-partnership-project/

 

About Tempcon
Tempcon Instrumentation Ltd was established in 1980 and specialises in instrumentation for measuring, controlling and logging: temperature, humidity, pressure, voltage, current, energy (kWhs), wind speed/direction, soil temperature and most other parameters required for: process control, environmental research or quality control.