Modern Carbon Storage A Review on Key Practical Methods and Tracking Systems

Abstract

The collection and long-term storage of atmospheric CO2 through biotic and abiotic processes is known as carbon sequestration, and it is essential to reducing the effects of human-caused climate change. Afforestation, reforestation, biochar application, and no-till farming are examples of biotic methods that increase soil organic carbon through photosynthetic fixation and microbial stability in biomass and soil reservoirs. Abiotic techniques, on the other hand, use sorbents like metal-organic frameworks or amines for direct air capture (DAC), which is followed by geological storage in saline aquifers or depleted oil reservoirs, where CO2 mineralizes into stable carbonates. In terrestrial systems, measurement methods like eddy covariance quantify net ecosystem exchange (NEE), whereas satellite-based LIDAR and hyperspectral photography track vegetation indices like NDVI at huge scales. Dry combustion or loss-on-ignition procedures are used to assess soil carbon. Geochemical tracers and seismic tomography are used to confirm the integrity of subsurface storage in order to minimize leakage. These methods offer trustworthy data for IPCC-guided global carbon budgeting and policy development when calibrated using isotopic markers (such as δ¹³C).