Carbon dioxide storage through mineralization: from pore-scale to formation-scale

Capturing and storing carbon dioxide is one of many approaches necessary to avoid the worst risks of climate change. But we know relatively little about how to store carbon in underground rock formations such that it will not leak. Pilot field tests confirm that injecting carbon dioxide into reactive subsurface environments can lead it to form solids and become trapped. However, injection can also lead to dissolution, subsequent fracturing, and the creation of flow pathways that could reduce storage capacity and even cause leakage. This project aims to improve our understanding of dissolution/precipitation reactions and transport in porous media. Using microfluidic and bench-top experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical modeling, the team hopes to create predictive models for effective storage of carbon dioxide in subsurface formations.