Carbon dioxide disposal

The emission of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels seems likely to be linked to greehouse warming of the eart. It is possible, in principle, to strip out carbon dioxide from point sources - such as oilfield production or power stations, and then to liquify the CO2 and inject into underground aquifers. However it is uncertain how rapidly natural aquifers can sequester thisCO2 into minerals. It is also uncertain how well natural mudrocks can seal in this CO2.

If carbon dioxide leaks, then studying natural CO2 systems may help to understand the effects of such leakage - as geochemical and physical interaction on the aquifer and sealing rocks. Our group at Edinburgh is forming collaboration with Zoe Shipton (Trinity College Dublin), Etienne Brosse (Inst Francais de Petrole), Andy Aplin (Newcastle), Bruce yardley (Leeds) to study natural analogues exposed at the surface in the Colorado Plateau of the USA