Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Pulses of carbon dioxide emissions from intracrustal faults following climatic warming
AU - Kampman, Niko
AU - Burnside, Neil
AU - Shipton, Zoe
AU - Chapman, Hazel
AU - Nicholl, Joe
AU - Ellam, Rob
AU - Bickle, Mike
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Carbon capture and geological storage represents a potential means of managing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.Understanding the role of faults, as either barriers or conduits to the flow of carbon dioxide, is crucial for predicting thelong-term integrity of geological storage sites. Of particular concern is the influence of geochemical reactions on the sealing behaviour of faults and the impact of seismicity and stress regime on fault stability. Here, we examine a 135,000-year palaeorecord of carbon dioxide leakage from a faulted, natural carbon dioxide reservoir in Utah. We assess the isotope and trace-element composition of U–Th-dated carbonate veins, deposited by carbon-dioxide-rich fluids. Temporal changes in vein geochemistry reveal pulses of carbon dioxide injection into the reservoir from deeper formations. Surface leakage ratesincrease by several orders of magnitude following these pulses. We show that each pulse occurs around 100–2,000 years after the onset of significant local climatic warming, at glacial to interglacial transitions. We suggest that carbon dioxide leakage rates increase as a result of fracture opening, potentially caused by changes in groundwater hydrology, the intermittent presence of a buoyant gas cap and postglacial crustal unloading of regions surrounding the fault.
AB - Carbon capture and geological storage represents a potential means of managing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.Understanding the role of faults, as either barriers or conduits to the flow of carbon dioxide, is crucial for predicting thelong-term integrity of geological storage sites. Of particular concern is the influence of geochemical reactions on the sealing behaviour of faults and the impact of seismicity and stress regime on fault stability. Here, we examine a 135,000-year palaeorecord of carbon dioxide leakage from a faulted, natural carbon dioxide reservoir in Utah. We assess the isotope and trace-element composition of U–Th-dated carbonate veins, deposited by carbon-dioxide-rich fluids. Temporal changes in vein geochemistry reveal pulses of carbon dioxide injection into the reservoir from deeper formations. Surface leakage ratesincrease by several orders of magnitude following these pulses. We show that each pulse occurs around 100–2,000 years after the onset of significant local climatic warming, at glacial to interglacial transitions. We suggest that carbon dioxide leakage rates increase as a result of fracture opening, potentially caused by changes in groundwater hydrology, the intermittent presence of a buoyant gas cap and postglacial crustal unloading of regions surrounding the fault.
KW - Geochemistry
KW - Palaeoclimate and palaeoceanography
KW - Structural geology, tectonics and geodynamics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860431262&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/NGEO1451
DO - 10.1038/NGEO1451
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84860431262
VL - 5
SP - 352
EP - 358
JO - Nature Geoscience
JF - Nature Geoscience
SN - 1752-0894
ER -