UK May Be Sitting on Volcanic Rocks That Can Swallow Industrial Carbon for Decades

Researchers have found that ancient volcanic rocks beneath the UK could permanently lock away between 42 million and 38 billion tons of industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) by turning it into solid minerals.

That scale of storage reframes the country's onshore geology as a long-term sink for emissions that industry still cannot eliminate.

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Volcanic Rocks and CO2

Across Northern Ireland, northwest England, and western Scotland, thick volcanic formations sit deep enough to hold and react with carbon-rich fluids.

By analyzing mapped rock bodies and their chemistry, Angus W. Montgomery at the University of Edinburgh demonstrated that these formations can convert injected CO2 into stable minerals underground.

Some of these rocks not only contain the right elements for this reaction but also extend across large, continuous volumes that amplify their storage potential.

That combination of chemical reactivity and sheer scale sets the stage for assessing how much of this capacity could actually be used in practice.

How Carbon Hardens

After capture, CO2 can be dissolved in water and pumped into cracks and connected pores underground.

In mafic rocks, dark volcanic rocks rich in iron and magnesium, dissolved carbon meets the ingredients needed to harden.

Nearby ultramafic rocks, even more magnesium-rich rocks from deeper settings, can react too, but only where fluids move through them.

This process, called carbon mineralization, turns dissolved CO2 into solid minerals and sharply reduces leak risk.

Biggest Underground Targets

Northern Ireland's Antrim Lava Group, a buried stack of ancient lava flows, carried the largest estimated capacity.

The middle case put Antrim near 1.4 billion tons of CO2, with a high-end estimate of 17 billion.

Two other major volcanic regions in England and Scotland followed, with estimated capacities of about 700 million and 600 million tons.

These mafic formations stand out because they pair large volumes with chemistry closer to proven basalt storage sites.

What 45 Years Means

In the paper's middle scenario, the eight formations together could absorb roughly four and a half decades of industrial emissions.

That figure uses a 2017 benchmark of about 72 million tons of industrial CO2, echoed in a government strategy on industrial decarbonization.

Such capacity would not replace emissions cuts, but it could handle pollution from cement, chemicals, and other stubborn sectors.

The result points to a backstop for emissions that factories still cannot avoid.

Proof From Iceland

Engineers have already tested this idea in volcanic rock, so the case does not rest on theory alone.

At Carbfix, an Icelandic storage project, more than 95 percent of injected CO2 turned into carbonate minerals in less than two years.

Because the carbon hardened underground, the project showed why reactive rocks attract intense interest.

That result gives the UK paper support, even if these rocks will not act exactly like Iceland's.

Wide Ranges Explained

The range from 42 million tons to 38 billion tons reflects several stubborn unknowns.

A major one is effective porosity, the connected empty space fluids can actually use.

Where pores link up, injected water can spread and react with fresh minerals; where they do not, storage collapses.

That is why the paper offers low, middle, and high cases instead of one neat number.

Why Old Rocks Differ

Many UK formations are far older than Iceland's basalts and have been altered by heat, pressure, and groundwater.

Over time, new minerals can fill cracks and cavities, stealing both room and reactive surfaces.

Some formations still look strong, but age and weathering could slow reactions or cut usable capacity.

That helps explain why the headline numbers are theoretical, not ready-to-use storage totals.

More Than Geology

The paper also leaves economics, permits, drilling plans, and local acceptance for future work.

Those factors could decide whether any technically suitable formation ever becomes a working site.

Public reactions framed the finding as a practical way to address industrial emissions that cannot easily be reduced.

The results were described as identifying where the most reactive volcanic rocks are and how much CO2 they could lock away, pointing to a permanent method for mitigating unavoidable industrial pollution.

Testing Volcanic Rock CO2 Storage

Before any injection starts, researchers need drilling, fluid tests, and far better maps of connected fractures.

Those checks would show whether carbon-rich water can move fast enough to reach fresh mineral surfaces before wells clog.

Engineers also need to learn how much of each rock body is realistically reachable. The next phase is about shrinking the unknowns that separate promise from practice.

Ancient lava flows and magnesium-rich rocks are not a climate cure, but they could become part of the UK's carbon toolkit.

If field tests confirm enough pore space and reactivity, some of the UK's oldest rocks may meet one of its newest industrial needs.

The study is published in Earth Science, Systems and Society.