Storage of CO2 in aquifers

The objective of the project is to study the carbon dynamics in the root zone and provide insight into the main factors controlling the dissolution and transfer of CO2 by the soil water and further into the aquifer.
 
The project is related to mitigation of climate change through increased uptake and storage of carbon in vegetation and soils. Plants take up CO2 from the atmosphere and transfer parts of it into the soil where it is released by respiration from roots and microbes. Infiltrating groundwater removes a small part of the CO2 produced in the soil and stores this as dissolved carbonate in the subsurface for long periods of time. We will investigate how to enhance and optimize the uptake of CO2 in aquifers by the infiltrating groundwater as a way of capturing CO2 from the atmosphere.

The amount of CO2 dissolved depends on e.g. pH, soil and plant type, land use, land management etc. Mesocosm experiments will be carried out in RERAF, our state-of-the-art phytotron, to screen some of these factors for their potential to increase the production and transport of CO2 in the soil. Treatments comprise mineral addition of CaCO3, ultramafic rock or ground concrete, and the use of various plants and irrigation practices. The mesocosms will be instrumented to measure the production of CO2 in the soil, CO2 exchange between soil and atmosphere, the transport of CO2 through the unsaturated zone and the uptake of CO2 into the saturated groundwater zone. Chemical interactions between dissolved CO2 and solids will be studied by monitoring changes in water composition in soil, unsaturated and saturated zones. The most promising treatments will be tested at the project field site in Central Jutland.

The project is part of work package 5 in the research program “Environmental technology for geological storage of carbon dioxide” (CO2-GS)encompassing Danish research institutions, industry partners and foreign research institutions.

Participants in work package 5
GEUS, Risø DTU, KU-NAT

Roles
See home page for CO2-GS

Resources
The project is funded by The Danish Council for Strategic Research

Duration
2010-2013

Emloyees involved 
Eike Marie Thaysen (PhD student), Iver Jakobsen, Per Ambus, Claus Beier

 

Page updated  by   03.02.2011


Iver Jakobsen
Professor
Biosystems (BIO)
Dir tel+45 46774154