Kate Maher, Stanford University
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Abstract:
Achieving the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement will require 100 to 300 gigatons of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) this century. As such large-scale interventions become central to climate planning, distinguishing between temporary carbon fluxes and durable atmospheric removals is essential. Yet current CDR accounting frameworks often obscure core issues of permanence, additionality, and attribution, raising questions about what truly constitutes meaningful climate impact. This talk uses enhanced weathering (EW) as a case study to examine how mechanistic models can illuminate the underlying processes that govern carbon removal in soil-based CDR. I will highlight our recent modeling work at the soil–groundwater interface, including the development of “alkalinity tags” as a diagnostic tool to evaluate and improve existing proxy-based quantification methods. This example highlights both the diagnostic power of mechanistic models and the current limitations in data integration, parameterization, and model structure that restrict their fitness for regulatory or financial decision-making. The talk concludes by broadening to other soil-based CDR pathways and raising emerging questions around model governance: what constitutes “fit-for-purpose” modeling in carbon markets, and how should model-based evidence be evaluated when used to support claims of durable removal?
Bio:
Kate Maher is a Professor of Earth System Science at Stanford University and a Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment. Dr. Maher’s work integrates field data, advanced computational models, and machine learning approaches to advance the sustainable engineering of earth systems, including soil-based carbon dioxide removal, water management, and carbon cycling in soil. Over two decades of research, she has developed methods to quantify enhanced weathering processes, greenhouse gas fluxes in soils, and subsurface carbon storage and mineralization, addressing global challenges in carbon and water management. Central to this work has been the creation of data science tools that combine scientific models with decision-making frameworks. She is a recipient of the James B. Macelwane Medal, a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, and is recognized for her work on the carbon cycle in a permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Kate received her B.A. from Dartmouth College in Environmental Earth Science, an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from U.C. Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences also from U.C. Berkely. Prior to joining the faculty at Stanford, she was a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow with the U.S. Geological Survey.