sequestration
see-kwes-TRAY-shuhn
/ˌsiːkwɛˈstreɪʃən/
The process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide or isolating assets/parties legally.
In environmental science, carbon sequestration involves storing carbon in biological sinks (forests, soil) or geological formations.
The story behind the word. From Late Latin 'sequestrare' (to place in the hands of a trustee or neutral third party until a dispute is settled), from 'sequester' (trustee). Modern climate science borrowed the legal idea of locking something safely away to describe trapping carbon.
Word relationships
- isolation: Isolation is general separation, while sequestration specifically denotes long-term secure lockup or legal impoundment.
- storage: Storage can be temporary, whereas carbon sequestration implies permanent or multi-decadal containment.
- release: Release allows carbon dioxide or locked assets to escape back into open systems.
- emission: Emission discharges pollutants into the atmosphere.
Commonly confused with
- seclusion: Seclusion is social isolation or privacy, whereas sequestration is legal impoundment or physical carbon trapping.
Word family
- sequester (verb): To isolate, hide away, or trap carbon dioxide.
- sequestered (adjective): Isolated or safely stored.
Collocations
- carbon sequestration
- geological sequestration
- biological sequestration
- sequestration rate
Idioms & expressions
- under sequestration
Example sentences
- "Geological carbon sequestration involves injecting carbon dioxide into underground rock formations for permanent storage." Energy research report
- "Restoring coastal mangrove wetlands increases biological carbon sequestration compared to degraded coastlines." Ecological study
Memory hook
SEQUESTER = SECRETLY SEPARATE and STORE away. Locking carbon safely away.
When not to use
Do not use to describe simply turning off a fossil fuel power plant.
Fun facts
- Coastal mangroves and salt marshes sequester carbon up to ten times faster than tropical rainforests, a phenomenon known as 'blue carbon'.
Related words
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