Abstract
In the absence of abiotic sources of CO2, variation in pCO2 and pO2 is expected to be inversely correlated in the water column due to biogenic processes. It has previously been suggested to use this correlation for leakage monitoring of offshore geological carbon storage (GCS) sites. In this study the aim is to investigate the extent of this correlation in ocean water masses with different origin and history in the Norwegian Sea, as well as in water masses in the vicinity of an active hydrothermal vent field at Mohn's Ridge, where pH is used as a proxy for pCO2. Over a hydrothermal vent site, a strong correlation between pH and pO2 is observed from 0 to 1700 m, whereas at depths >1700 m there is no correlation, likely due to CO2 emissions from the hydrothermal vents. However, at a reference site nearly 200 km from the hydrothermal vents, the intermediate Arctic water masses (700 – 1600 m depth) also show pH-pO2 correlations that are inconsistent with biogenic processes, but less pronounced compared to the hydrothermal vent site. These findings show that the suitability of this monitoring strategy will depend on a thorough site-specific evaluation of pH/CO2 and O2 relationships of relevant water masses.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call