Behavior Of Tracers Research Articles

Pseudo 2D chemical model of hot-Jupiter atmospheres: application to HD 209458b and HD 189733b

We have developed a pseudo two-dimensional model of a planetary atmosphere, which takes into account thermochemical kinetics, photochemistry, vertical mixing, and horizontal transport, the latter being modeled as a uniform zonal wind. We have applied the model to the atmospheres of the hot Jupiters HD 209458b and HD 189733b. The adopted eddy diffusion coefficients are calculated by following the behaviour of passive tracers in three-dimensional general circulation models, which results in eddy values significantly below previous estimates. We find that the distribution of molecules with altitude and longitude in the atmospheres of these two hot Jupiters is complex because of the interplay of the various physical and chemical processes at work. Much of the distribution of molecules is driven by the strong zonal wind and the limited extent of vertical transport, resulting in an important homogenisation of the chemical composition with longitude. In general, molecular abundances are quenched horizontally to values typical of the hottest dayside regions, and thus the composition in the cooler nightside regions is highly contaminated by that of warmer dayside regions. As a consequence, the abundance of methane remains low, even below the predictions of previous one-dimensional models, which is likely to be in conflict with the high CH4 content inferred from observations of the dayside of HD 209458b. Another consequence of the important longitudinal homogenisation of the abundances is that the variability of the chemical composition has little effect on the way the emission spectrum is modified with phase and on the changes in the transmission spectrum from the transit ingress to the egress, these variations in the spectra being mainly due to changes in the temperature rather than in the composition between the different sides of the planet.

A multi-tracer approach to quantifying groundwater inflows to an upland river; assessing the influence of variable groundwater chemistry

Understanding the behaviour and variability of environmental tracers is important for their use in estimating groundwater discharge to rivers. This study utilizes a multi-tracer approach to quantify groundwater discharge into a 27 km upland reach of the Gellibrand River in southwest Victoria, Australia. Ten sampling campaigns were conducted between March 2011 and June 2012, and the distribution of 222Rn activities, Cl and 3H concentrations imply the river receives substantial groundwater inflows. Mass balances based on 222Rn, Cl and 3H yield estimates of groundwater inflows that agree to within ± 12%, with cumulative inflows in individual campaigns ranging from 24 346 to 88 467 m3/day along the studied river section. Groundwater discharge accounts for between 10 and 50% of river flow dependent on the time of year, with a high proportion (>40 %) of groundwater sustaining summer flows. Groundwater inflow is largely governed by regional groundwater flowpaths; between 50 and 90% of total groundwater inflows occur along a narrow 5–10 km section where the river intersects the Eastern View Formation, a major regional aquifer. Groundwater 222Rn activities over the 16 month period were spatially heterogeneous across the catchment, ranging between 2000 Bq/m3 and 16 175 Bq/m3. Although groundwater 222Rn activities display temporal variation, spatial variation in groundwater 222Rn is a key control on 222Rn mass balances in river catchments where groundwater and river 222Rn activities are within an order of magnitude of each other. Calculated groundwater discharges vary from 8.4 to 15 m3/m/day when groundwater 222Rn activities are varied by ± 1 σ. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tracking Groundwater Discharge to a Large River using Tracers and Geophysics

Few studies have investigated large reaches of rivers in which multiple sources of groundwater are responsible for maintaining baseflow. This paper builds upon previous work undertaken along the Fitzroy River, one of the largest perennial river systems in north-western Australia. Synoptic regional-scale sampling of both river water and groundwater for a suite of environmental tracers ((4) He, (87) Sr/(86) Sr, (222) Rn and major ions), and subsequent modeling of tracer behavior in the river, has enabled definition and quantification of groundwater input from at least three different sources. We show unambiguous evidence of both shallow "local" groundwater, possibly recharged to alluvial aquifers beneath the adjacent floodplain during recent high-flow events, and old "regional" groundwater introduced via artesian flow from deep confined aquifers. We also invoke hyporheic exchange and either bank return flow or parafluvial flow to account for background (222) Rn activities and anomalous chloride trends along river reaches where there is no evidence of the local or regional groundwater inputs. Vertical conductivity sections acquired through an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey provide insights to the architecture of the aquifers associated with these sources and general groundwater quality characteristics. These data indicate fresh groundwater from about 300 m below ground preferentially discharging to the river, at locations consistent with those inferred from tracer data. The results demonstrate how sampling rivers for multiple environmental tracers of different types-including stable and radioactive isotopes, dissolved gases and major ions-can significantly improve conceptualization of groundwater-surface water interaction processes, particularly when coupled with geophysical techniques in complex hydrogeological settings.

Effect of particle-hole symmetry on the behavior of tracer and jump diffusion coefficients

This paper analyzes the effect of particle-hole symmetry on the behavior of the tracer diffusion coefficient as well as the jump diffusion coefficient. The coefficients are obtained by performing a random walk of individual atoms in a two-dimensional square lattice at monolayer, using the n-fold way Monte Carlo simulation. Different hopping mechanisms have been introduced to study the effect of particle-hole symmetry. For hopping kinetics where the initial-state interactions are involved, the diffusion coefficient at high coverage falls several orders of magnitude due to the effect of particle-hole symmetry. For hopping kinetics where the final-state interactions are present, the effect is the opposite. For those involving both initial- and final-state interactions, like the so-called interaction kinetics, the effect of particle-hole symmetry is also discussed. This effect seems to be critical for repulsive lateral interactions, for which the behavior of the diffusion coefficients is modified by introducing the particle-hole symmetry condition.

Colloid transport in saturated porous media: Elimination of attachment efficiency in a new colloid transport model

Key Points This colloid transport model eliminates the empirical attachment efficiency. Introduce a new paradigm for colloid re‐entrainment behavior. Model parameters related to magnitude of secondary energy minimum

A DNA tracer used in column tests for hydrogeology applications

Tracing techniques are commonly used to investigate groundwater quality and dynamics, as well as to measure the hydrogeological parameters of aquifers. The last decade has seen a growing interest in environmentally friendly tracers, including single-stranded DNA molecules. In this study, an electrolytic tracer and a synthetic DNA tracer are comparatively evaluated in laboratory scale tests to assess their potential application in field studies aimed at investigating groundwater environments. A real-time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction assay was developed and optimized to detect and quantify the DNA tracer, while tracer column tests were performed to investigate the DNA tracer behavior and to compare it to the electrolytic tracer. The results show that the DNA tracer has an almost pure convective flow, while the KCl tracer experiences dispersive behavior. The tracing method proposed can be applied in hydrogeological field studies involving calcareous fractured rock systems, with the DNA tracer particularly suitable in tracing karst systems, which are often characterized by several conduits of flow. To test the DNA tracer in operation, a preliminary test was conducted in the field.

Modeling of Cs+ diffusion and retention in the DI-A2 experiment (Mont Terri). Uncertainties in sorption and diffusion parameters

In the DI-A2 experiment several non-reactive and reactive tracers were injected as a pulse in a packed-off borehole in the Opalinus Clay. Unlike the previous DI-A1 test, the design of the Teflon filter in the injection borehole forced the water to flow through the filter and the open space between the filter and the borehole wall (the filter itself did not act as a diffusion barrier between the circulating solution and the rock). The decrease in tracer concentration in the liquid phase was monitored during a period of a year. Afterwards, the borehole section was overcored and the tracer profiles in the rock were analyzed. A main interest of this experiment was to understand the chemical behavior of sorbing tracers: Cs+ (stable), 85Sr2+, 60Co2+ and Eu3+ (stable). The complete dataset (except for Eu3+ because of strong sorption to experimental equipment) was analyzed in a previous study with a 2D diffusion–reaction model and the derived diffusion and sorption parameters were compared with laboratory data. As in DI-A1, a difference by a factor of about 2 for sorption (magnitude of the Freundlich isotherm) was obtained between in situ and laboratory batch sorption experiments.Recent experimental and modeling studies have shown equivalent Cs+ sorption on intact and disaggregated Opalinus Clay samples. In view of these developments, new modeling of Cs+ diffusion and retention in the DI-A2 experiment has been performed using CrunchFlow. The calculations include transport by diffusion and a multisite cation exchange model to account for the retention of Cs+. The new results show that upscaling of Cs+ sorption from laboratory to field is no longer required. However, a difference in sorption by a factor of about 2 is still explained by the use of different versions of the same cation exchange model (a small difference in the selectivity coefficient for one type of site). This uncertainty in sorption leads to an uncertainty in the effective diffusion coefficient (De) for Cs+, also by a factor of 2 (2–4×10−10m2/s). Clearly, the values of De obtained are correlated with the strength of sorption in the model, with stronger sorption leading to larger De values. Discrimination between the two versions of the exchange model is not possible when using only the results of the in situ test. Additionally, during early times (t<10days) the drop in Cs+ concentration in the circulation system is slower than expected. Due to the experimental setup, this slow decrease in concentration cannot be caused by the filter in the contact between borehole and rock. Poor mixing in the circulation system could explain this effect.

An assessment of selected properties of the fluorescent tracer, Tinopal CBS-X related to conservative behavior, and suggested improvements

Summary A conservative or well known reactive behavior of water tracers is a prerequisite in the quantitative evaluation of their tracer breakthrough curves. The fluorescent dye, Tinopal CBS-X, is one of the few licensed fluorescent dyes for water tracing with safe use. Its main advantage is its blue fluorescence, which is barely visible to the human eye and thus can be used when coloring water must be avoided. However, scientists have described the recovery of this dye as poor to very poor in field tracer experiments. Hence, this study focuses on examining the interaction of the main water chemistry with Tinopal CBS-X by determining the solubility products of the dye with most common cations. The findings of this investigation reveal that the tracer forms precipitates of very low aqueous solubility with di- and trivalent cations (pKsp 6.4−16.8). As a consequence, Tinopal CBS-X is not a conservative tracer and respective tracer breakthrough curves will exhibit strong tailings at least in part, as result of precipitations formed. The addition of a chemical modifier, EDTA, is suggested to enhance the solubility of Tinopal CBS-X in order to overcome its non-conservative behavior. Equations for estimating the amount of EDTA necessary are provided. In the light of these results, earlier reported tracer breakthrough curves are revisited and re-interpreted.

PET-CT Imaging in Breast Cancer Patients: New Tracers, Future Directions

Positron Emission Tomography using 18F-fluoro-deoxi-glucose (FDG-PET) is giving a new perspective in disease staging and therapeutic response evaluation in daily oncological practice. To understand better the biological behavior and therapeutic response of breast cancer, new tracers and targets of molecular imaging are under investigation.These tracers may lead to non-invasive evaluation of the main, leading therapeutic decision-maker properties of metastatic breast cancer such as receptor status, proliferation activity and therapy resistance, and could also become predictive markers in the early measurement of therapeutic response in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced breast cancer. However, these new agents are currently not available in the daily practice; the preliminary results are promising.

Simulation and interpretation of inter-well tracer tests

In inter-well tracer tests (IWTT), chemical compounds or radioactive isotopes are used to label injection water and gas to establish well connections and fluid patterns in petroleum reservoirs. Tracer simulation is an invaluable tool to ease the interpretation of IWTT results and is also required for assisted history matching application of tracer data. In this paper we present a new simulation technique to analyse and interpret tracer results. Laboratory results are used to establish and test formulations of the tracer conservation equations, and the technique is used to provide simulated tracer responses that are compared with observed tracer data from an extensive tracer program. The implemented tracer simulation methodology use a fast post-processing of previously simulated reservoir simulation runs. This provides a fast, flexible and powerful method for analysing gas tracer behaviour in reservoirs. We show that simulation time for tracers can be reduced by factor 100 compared to solving the tracer flow equations simultaneously with the reservoir fluid flow equations. The post-processing technique, combined with a flexible built-in local tracer-grid refinement is exploited to reduce numerical smearing, particularly severe for narrow tracer pulses.

IDENTIFYING SOLUTE DISPERSIVITY IN UNSATURATED POROUS MEDIA USING A NON-INTRUSIVE TECHNIQUE

A non-intrusive methodology using spatial moment analysis linked with image processing of a dye tracer behavior in porous media was applied to identify time-series variation of dispersivities not only in longitudinal but in transverse directions under saturated and unsaturated conditions. Dye tracer experiments were carried out in a two-dimensional and vertically placed water tank with the dimensions of 100 cm width, 100 cm height and 3 cm thickness under saturated and unsaturated flow conditions. An image processing technique based on digitalized spatial distributions of dye tracer allowed to link with a spatial moment approach to identify the temporal change of the longitudinal and transverse dispersivities. Dispersivities exhibited an increasing and decreasing tendency associated with infiltration rates and showed a marked difference between estimates under saturated and unsaturated conditions. Transverse dispersivities under unsaturated conditions were approximately one order larger than those under saturated conditions. This attributed to the effect of air distributions in porous media on the temporal and spatial change of solute dispersion phenomena.

Dynamic PET Reconstruction based on a Reaction‐Diffusion Model

AbstractPositron‐Emission Tomography (PET) is an imaging technique in nuclear medicine used to image physiological processes. A major obstacle is the need for dynamic image reconstruction from low quality PET‐data, which applies in particular for tracers (radioactive water) with fast decay like H215O when looking for improved spatial resolution.Here we present a model‐based approach to overcome those difficulties. We derive a set of differential equations able to represent the kinetic behavior of H215O PET tracers during cardiac perfusion. In this model one takes into account the exchange of materials between artery, tissue and vein, which predicts the tracer activity if the reaction rates, velocities, and diffusion coefficients are known. One then interprets the computation of these distributed parameters (spatially dependent only) as a nonlinear inverse problem, which we solve using variational regularization approaches. For the minimization we use the gradient‐based methods and Forward‐Backward Splitting. The main advantage is the reduction of the degrees of freedom, which makes the problem overdetermined and thus allows to proceed to low quality data. (© 2012 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A comparison of fluorescein and deuterated water as tracers for determination of constructed wetland retention time

Abstract Retention time of treated water in a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland was determined in the non-vegetative period using fluorescein and deuterium oxide. Fluorescein served as one of the most frequent tracers detectable at extremely low concentrations by fluorimetry; however, deuterated water (concentrations of deuterium measured by IRMS and expressed as δ (‰) against VSMOW) was used to precisely simulate the treated water flow movement. Tracer retention time (TRT) of fluorescein was 194 h while deuterated water TRT was 192 h. TRT and nominal hydraulic retention time (nHRT, 190 h) were nearly exactly equal. The tracer behavior of deuterated water was almost ideal. On the other hand, the fluorescein movement through the system was slightly influenced by the interaction with the vegetation bed (sorption causing the tailing of tracer-response curves). Nevertheless, both tracers can be successfully used and provide similar results. Retention time is a very important characteristic of a constructed wetland. It is closely connected with the efficiency of the contaminant removal from treated water. It has to be determined correctly when wetland operation parameters are optimized. The choice of the suitable and reliable tracer is always necessary. Fluorescein takes preference with respect to its simple and inexpensive determination.

Monitoring Tc Dynamics in a Bioreduced Sediment: An Investigation with Gamma Camera Imaging of 99mTc-Pertechnetate and 99mTc-DTPA

We demonstrate the utility of nuclear medical imaging technologies and a readily available radiotracer, [(99m)Tc]TcO(4)(-), for the noninvasive monitoring of Fe(II) production in acetate-stimulated sediments from Old Rifle, CO, USA. Microcosms consisting of sediment in artificial groundwater media amended with acetate were probed by repeated injection of radiotracer over three weeks. Gamma camera imaging was used to noninvasively quantify the rate and extent of [(99m)Tc]TcO(4)(-) partitioning from solution to sediment. Aqueous Fe(II) and sediment-associated Fe(II) were also measured and correlated with the observed tracer behavior. For each injection of tracer, curves of (99m)Tc concentration in solution vs time were fitted to an analytic function that accounts for both the observed rate of sedimentation as well as the rate of (99m)Tc association with the sediment. The rate and extent of (99m)Tc association with the biostimulated sediment correlated well with the production of Fe(II), and a mechanism of [(99m)Tc]TcO(4)(-) reduction via reaction with surface-bound Fe(II) to form an immobile Tc(IV) species was inferred. After three weeks of bioreduction, a subset of microcosms was aerated in order to reoxidize the Fe(II) to Fe(III), which also destroyed the affinity of the [(99m)Tc]TcO(4)(-) for the sediments. However, within 3 days postoxidation, the rate of Tc(VII) reduction was faster than immediately before oxidation implying a rapid return to more extensive bioreduction. Furthermore, aeration soon after a tracer injection showed that sediment-bound Tc(IV) is rapidly resolubilized to Tc(VII). In contrast to the [(99m)Tc]TcO(4)(-), a second commercially available tracer, (99m)Tc-DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid), had minimal association with sediment in both controls and biostimulated sediments. These experiments show the promise of [(99m)Tc]TcO(4)(-) and (99m)Tc-DTPA as noninvasive imaging probes for a redox-sensitive radiotracer and a conservative flow tracer, respectively.

A pore network model study of the fluid‐fluid interfacial areas measured by dynamic‐interface tracer depletion and miscible displacement water phase advective tracer methods

Fluid‐fluid interfacial areas in porous media are of considerable interest due to the impact they have on a wide range of practical applications involving mass transfer between phases, as well as for their importance in understanding unsaturated and multiphase flow behaviors in porous media. Tracer methods provide a low‐cost experimental approach for determining interfacial areas in porous media. Although a number of different tracer methods have been developed, uncertainty remains as to exactly what areas they measure. The work presented here uses pore network model simulations to study the behavior of tracers during simulated tracer measurements for two different specific water‐phase tracer methods: the dynamic‐interface tracer depletion method and the miscible displacement tracer method. The hypothesis driving this work was that different tracer methods likely measure different areas as a result of the very different ways tracers are used. Experimental data sets for six different porous media were used to validate the model and provide comparison with model‐simulated tracer‐based area measurements. Results of the work suggest that areas measured using the dynamic‐interface tracer depletion method closely match total fluid‐fluid interfacial areas, as long as the extent of tracer depletion during the method is relatively small. However, areas measured with the miscible displacement method likely fall somewhere between capillary and total fluid‐fluid areas. Calculations conducted with realistic diffusion coefficients and film thicknesses indicate that diffusion and head‐driven flow in films are insufficient to allow significant tracer access to film area, suggesting the potential importance of other mechanisms. Calculations conducted as a part of the work suggest that Leverett estimates of maximum area formed during drainage may be closer to total areas than previously reported.

Tracer behaviour and analysis of hydraulics in experimental free water surface wetlands

Effects of inlet design and vegetation type on tracer dynamics and hydraulic performance were investigated using lithium chloride in 18 experimental free water surface wetlands. The wetlands received similar water flow but had different vegetation types: 6 emergent vegetation wetlands (EVWs), 6 submerged vegetation wetlands (SVWs) and 6 free development wetlands (FDWs). Two types of inlet designs were applied: half of each wetland vegetation type had a barrier near the inlet to help distribute incoming tracer solution, while the rest had no barrier. Residence time distribution (RTD) functions were calculated from tracer data using two techniques: method of moments and a novel Gauss modelling approach. RTD functions were used to quantify hydraulic parameters: active wetland volume (e-value), water dispersion (N-value) and hydraulic efficiency (λ-value).For wetlands without barrier, significantly lower tracer mass recoveries were found from EVWs compared to FDWs and SVWs, signifying a risk of tracer methodological problems in small densely vegetated wetlands. These problems were minimized in wetlands with an inflow construction promoting distribution of incoming tracer solution.Compared to the method of moments, Gauss modelling seemed to produce more reliable λ-values but less reliable N-values. Data for precise hydraulic quantification were lost by Gauss modelling, as indicated by overall lower variance in these data sets and lower mass recoveries. However, Gauss modelling may minimize uncertainties associated with lithium immobilization/mobilization. Parameters were significantly affected by the RTD data analysis method, showing that the choice of method could affect evaluation of wetland hydraulics.The experimental wetlands in this study exhibited relatively high e-values and low N-values. This was probably caused by the small size of the wetlands and low water flow velocities, emphasizing that hydraulic parameter values obtained in small experimental wetlands may not be applicable to hydraulics in larger wetlands.The method of moments revealed lower e-values from EVWs compared to SVWs and FDWs. It was indicated that lower e-values were mainly caused by vegetation volumes. This highlighted a need for regular maintenance to secure efficient treatment volume in wetlands with dense vegetation.

CHEMISTRY IN INFRARED DARK CLOUD CLUMPS: A MOLECULAR LINE SURVEY AT 3 mm

We have observed 37 Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs), containing a total of 159 clumps, in high-density molecular tracers at 3 mm using the 22-meter ATNF Mopra Telescope located in Australia. After determining kinematic distances, we eliminated clumps that are not located in IRDCs and clumps with a separation between them of less than one Mopra beam. Our final sample consists of 92 IRDC clumps. The most commonly detected molecular lines are (detection rates higher than 8%): N2H+, HNC, HN13C, HCO+, H13CO+, HCN, C2H, HC3N, HNCO, and SiO. We investigate the behavior of the different molecular tracers and look for chemical variations as a function of an evolutionary sequence based on Spitzer IRAC and MIPS emission. We find that the molecular tracers behave differently through the evolutionary sequence and some of them can be used to yield useful relative age information. The presence of HNC and N2H+ lines do not depend on the star formation activity. On the other hand, HC3N, HNCO, and SiO are predominantly detected in later stages of evolution. Optical depth calculations show that in IRDC clumps the N2H+ line is optically thin, the C2H line is moderately optically thick, and HNC and HCO+ are optically thick. The HCN hyperfine transitions are blended, and, in addition, show self-absorbed line profiles and extended wing emission. These factors combined prevent the use of HCN hyperfine transitions for the calculation of physical parameters. Total column densities of the different molecules, except C2H, increase with the evolutionary stage of the clumps. Molecular abundances increase with the evolutionary stage for N2H+ and HCO+. The N2H+/HCO+ and N2H+/HNC abudance ratios act as chemical clocks, increasing with the evolution of the clumps.

Method for the determination of residual carbon dioxide saturation using reactive ester tracers

Abstract The mechanisms for storage of CO2 in rock formations include structural/stratigraphic, mineral, solubility and residual trapping. Residual trapping is very important in terms of both containment security and storage capacity. However, to date, the contribution from residual trapping (i.e. immobilisation of supercritical fluid via capillarity in pore spaces) is still relatively difficult to quantify accurately. Using a laboratory-based testing program, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using reactive ester tracers (i.e. triacetin, propylene glycol diacetate and tripropionin), which partition between a mobile water phase and a stationary supercritical CO2 phase, to quantify the residual CO2 saturation, Sgr, of a rock formation. The proposed single-well test involves injecting these tracers into the subsurface, followed by CO2 saturated water, where the ester tracers slowly hydrolyse to form products with differing partition coefficients. After a suitable period of time, allowing for partial hydrolysis, water containing the tracer mixture is produced from the subsurface and analysed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). A numerical simulator of the tracer behaviour in a reservoir is used to explain the differential breakthrough of these tracer compounds during water production to estimate Sgr. Computer modelling suggests that the use of esters tracers to determine CO2 residual saturation is a potentially robust method. The supercritical CO2/water partition coefficients directly dictate the amount of time that each tracer spends in the CO2 and water phases. As such for modelling of tracer behaviour and estimating Sgr, knowing the tracer partition coefficient is essential; in this paper, the first laboratory study to determine the partition coefficients of these reactive ester tracers is described.

Quantifying Uncertainty for Climate Change and Long-Range Forecasting Scenarios with Model Errors. Part I: Gaussian Models

AbstractInformation theory provides a concise systematic framework for measuring climate consistency and sensitivity for imperfect models. A suite of increasingly complex physically relevant linear Gaussian models with time periodic features mimicking the seasonal cycle is utilized to elucidate central issues that arise in contemporary climate science. These include the role of model error, the memory of initial conditions, and effects of coarse graining in producing short-, medium-, and long-range forecasts. In particular, this study demonstrates how relative entropy can be used to improve climate consistency of an overdamped imperfect model by inflating stochastic forcing. Moreover, the authors show that, in the considered models, by improving climate consistency, this simultaneously increases the predictive skill of an imperfect model in response to external perturbation, a property of crucial importance in the context of climate change. The three models range in complexity from a scalar time periodic model mimicking seasonal fluctuations in a mean jet to a spatially extended system of turbulent Rossby waves to, finally, the behavior of a turbulent tracer with a mean gradient with the background turbulent field velocity generated by the first two models. This last model mimics the global and regional behavior of turbulent passive tracers under various climate change scenarios. This detailed study provides important guidelines for extending these strategies to more complicated and non-Gaussian physical systems.

Tracers – Past, present and future applications in CO2 geosequestration

Chemical tracers have been used in various C capture and storage (CCS) projects worldwide primarily to provide information regarding subsurface migration of CO2 and to verify CO2 containment. Understanding the movement and interactions of CO2 in the subsurface is a challenging task considering the variety of states in which it exists (i.e. gas, liquid, supercritical, dissolved in water) and the range of possible storage mechanisms (i.e. residual or capillary trapping, dissolved in water, structural trapping or incorporation into minerals). This paper critically reviews several chemical tracer applications and case studies for CCS projects. In many instances, there are parallels (e.g. tracer classes and applications) between tracers in the oil and gas industry and in CCS. It has been shown that chemical tracers can complement geophysical measurements (e.g. seismic) in understanding the formation behaviour of CO2. Although tracers have been successfully used in many CCS projects, some fundamental information, for example partitioning and adsorption, about the behaviour of tracers is still lacking and this can be an issue when interpreting tracer data (e.g. determining leakage rates). In this paper the deployment and recovery of chemical tracers and their use on various CCS projects are described.