Serpentinite rock units have been considered as repositories for the disposal of waste carbon dioxide produced when fossil fuels are burned. Injecting carbon dioxide into subsurface rock units in the presence of water can produce magnesium carbonate and quartz in an exothermic reaction similar to the one shown below.

Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄ + 3CO₂ + H₂O –> 3MgCO₃ + 2SiO₂ + 3H₂O

Numerous studies and small scale tests of geological sequestration of CO₂ have produced promising results, but the procedure has not been placed into commercial practice.