carbon sequestration

noun

plural carbon sequestrations

1

: any of various methods or processes for capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere : carbon capture

Carbon sequestration is capturing the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels and storing it safely away from the atmosphere.

—National Academy of Engineering

… carbon sequestration, the process of taking carbon dioxide—the greenhouse gas associated with global warming—and removing it from circulation by compressing it and injecting it deep underground.

—Phred Dvorak

especially : the capture and use of carbon dioxide by living vegetation : carbon capture sense 2

Carbon sequestration is a process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere, which can be done by forests or in the soil, among other processes.

—Eliza Noe

2

: the storage of carbon and especially carbon dioxide in carbon sinks (such as oceans, soil, or forests) by natural or artificial means

While measurements of carbon sequestration in trees is well documented, there has been very little work on how much carbon … grasslands can capture …

—John Lovett

Greater Toledo has the potential to be a national leader in carbon sequestration thanks to geological formations that support burial of the captured carbon.

—Toledo (Ohio) Blade

Examples of carbon sequestration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dietary shifts could significantly cut emissions and free land for carbon sequestration although implementation must consider nutritional, cultural and livelihood constraints. — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2026

Summit’s project has faced a number of delays since, including a ban on the use of eminent domain for carbon sequestration pipelines in South Dakota, and attempts to pass a similar law in Iowa. — Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 14 Aug. 2026

Bob O’Connor Smalls immediately grasped that the same rock-breaking strategy could be used for mineral mining, carbon sequestration, and extending the life of oil and gas wells. — IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2026

With many more similar deep subsurface ecosystems existing around the world, the study findings complicates our understanding of carbon sequestration. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for carbon sequestration

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization