Barette-Duckworth, Miles 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6148-2349
(2025)
Weathering on Coarse Gravel Roads: Modelling Carbon Dioxide
Removal in Weathering Processes on Gravel Roads.
Masters thesis, Concordia Concordia UniversityUniversity.
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Abstract
As global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise, negative emissions strategies are being researched to rapidly capture and store these emissions. Enhanced rock weathering as a negative emissions strategy has a strong focus on research on agricultural applications, however, the construction and maintenance of gravel roadways represents an under-researched potential form of weathering. This research examines the contributions of gravel roadways in West Bolton, QC to the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels through chemical weathering. A model was produced using Stella modeling software to simulate the atmospheric carbon dioxide transformation through weathering of the roadway material in the study area. A sieving analysis was performed to determine both the change in rock particle size over time and for the calculation of the available surface area of the road material. A weathering analysis was performed using road material sampled from the roadway and rainwater captured within the study area. Alkalinity readings as the concentration of CaCO3 were obtained during the weathering analysis and using particle size distribution for the surface area along with the annual rainfall data, weathering rates for all three sample sites were calculated. The weathering rates were found to be 1.36x10-6 mol/m2, 2.25x10-6 mol/m2, and 4.11x10-6 mol/m2. Of critical influence on the weathering rate was the volume of annual rainfall. Model simulations using the results of the sieving and weathering analysis found that the carbon transformation using the analysis results corresponded to the modeled results using reference rates. Factors influencing the modeled carbon transformation were found to be mechanical fracturing from annual daily car passage and maintenance frequency over timescales of ten years. This study begins the research on gravel roads as a negative emissions strategy and produces a model that can inform road management decisions.
| Divisions: | Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science > Geography, Planning and Environment |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
| Authors: | Barette-Duckworth, Miles |
| Institution: | Concordia Concordia UniversityUniversity |
| Degree Name: | M. Sc. |
| Program: | Geography, Urban & Environmental Studies |
| Date: | 25 January 2025 |
| Thesis Supervisor(s): | Matthews, HH. Damon and Sklar, Leonard |
| Keywords: | rock weathering, enhanced rock weathering, climate change, carbon dioxide sequestration, road, roadways, gravel roads, gravel roadways, negative emissions strategies, enhanced rock weathering, atmospheric carbon dioxide reduction, chemical weathering, surface area, weathering rates, alkalinity, road maintenance, carbon transformation, road management, |
| ID Code: | 995482 |
| Deposited By: | MILES BARETTE DUCKWORTH |
| Deposited On: | 04 Nov 2025 16:23 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Nov 2025 16:23 |
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