A multipurpose soil inorganic carbon prediction model

There is a lack of models to predict soil inorganic carbon (SIC) which are not only multipurpose, but can predict SIC in a variety of soils and materials. The importance of estimating SIC stocks is due to the large contribution they make towards total carbon in some soils. This paper proposes such a model which aims to account for the variance and geographical range of soils. As an example, one such use is the accurate prediction of passive SIC sequestration rates as this is currently a complex challenge, mainly due to environmental effects such as water, temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The model is process based, taking into account environmental, physical and biological factors which can be scaled up to the appropriate levels of analysis. There is therefore need for a multipurpose model that can be used by a wide range of users, and at several scales. Recent evidence from brownfield sites featuring urban soils indicates potential for carbon capture through conversion of C to CaCO3. A component of this proposed model therefore consists of a sub-system defined as CASPER (Carbon Absorption Soil Prediction for Engineered Regions). For the purpose of this framework, this component aims in the future to model data from the results of a wider UK funded research project known as SUCCESS (Sustainable Urban Carbon Capture: Engineering Soils for Climate Change).