Modeling CO2 Release Experiment in the Shallow Subsurface and Sensitivity Analysis

Abstract

Research Article| August 01, 2013 Modeling CO2 Release Experiment in the Shallow Subsurface and Sensitivity Analysis Changbing Yang; Changbing Yang 1 Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758 1Corresponding author email: changbing.yang@beg.utexas.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Katherine Romanak; Katherine Romanak Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Susan Hovorka; Susan Hovorka Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ramon Triveno Ramon Triveno Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Changbing Yang 1 Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758 Katherine Romanak Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758 Susan Hovorka Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758 Ramon Triveno Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758 1Corresponding author email: changbing.yang@beg.utexas.edu. Publisher: Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1558-9161 Print ISSN: 1078-7275 © 2013 Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (2013) 19 (3): 207–220. https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.19.3.207 Article history First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Changbing Yang, Katherine Romanak, Susan Hovorka, Ramon Triveno; Modeling CO2 Release Experiment in the Shallow Subsurface and Sensitivity Analysis. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 2013;; 19 (3): 207–220. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.19.3.207 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEnvironmental & Engineering Geoscience Search Advanced Search Abstract A small-scale, controlled carbon dioxide (CO2) release experiment was conducted at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Austin, Texas, to simulate CO2 leakage from a geological sequestration site. The main purpose of the experiment was to assess impacts of soil physical properties on soil CO2 measurements for detecting near-surface CO2 leakage signals. The field site includes one shallow CO2 injection well (1.1-m depth) and three wells for monitoring soil CO2 concentrations. CO2 was released at a depth of 1.1 m below the surface for approximately 6 hours. CO2 concentrations at the sensor locations clearly showed the arrival of CO2 from the injection well. A numerical model accounting for CO2 diffusion and dissolution into soil pore water was constructed and then calibrated with the CO2 measurements from the experiment. Using the calibrated numerical model, a set of sensitivity runs was conducted to assess effects of soil physical properties on modeled CO2 concentration (or flux). Results of the sensitivity runs show that CO2 concentrations (or fluxes) are sensitive to change in soil physical properties. Peak CO2 concentrations modeled in the sensitivity runs are most sensitive to soil porosity, and peak CO2 fluxes are most sensitive to the soil impedance factor. This study indicates that soil physical properties can have significant impacts on the soil CO2 measurements used for detecting CO2 leakage signals. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.