Monitoring of a Simulated
CO<sub>2</sub> Leakage in
a Shallow Aquifer Using Stable Carbon Isotopes
Alexandra Schulz
Carsten Vogt
Hendrik Lamert
Anita Peter
Ben Heinrich
Andreas Dahmke
Hans-Hermann Richnow
10.1021/es3026837.s001
https://acs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Monitoring_of_a_Simulated_CO_sub_2_sub_Leakage_in_a_Shallow_Aquifer_Using_Stable_Carbon_Isotopes/2477950
Artificial carbon dioxide leakage into a shallow aquifer
was monitored
using stable carbon isotope measurements at a field site near the
town of Wittstock, Brandenburg, Germany. Approximately 400 000
L of CO<sub>2</sub> were injected into a shallow aquifer at 18 m depth
over 10 days. The <sup>13</sup>C/ <sup>12</sup>C ratios of the CO<sub>2</sub> were measured in both groundwater and soil gas samples to
monitor the distribution of the injected CO<sub>2</sub> plume and
to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of this approach to detect
potential CO<sub>2</sub> leakage, for example from carbon capture
and storage (CCS) sites. The isotopic composition of the injected
CO<sub>2</sub> (δ<sup>13</sup>C −30.5 ‰) was differentiable
from the background CO<sub>2</sub> (δ<sup>13</sup>C −21.9
‰) and the artificial CO<sub>2</sub> plume was monitored over
a period spanning more than 204 days. The results demonstrate that
this stable isotope monitoring approach can be used to identify CO<sub>2</sub> sources and detect potential CO<sub>2</sub> migration from
CCS sites into overlying shallow aquifers or even into the upper subsurface.
A significant difference between the isotope ratios of the natural
background and the injected CO<sub>2</sub> is required for this monitoring
approach to be effective.
2012-10-16 00:00:00
Stable Carbon IsotopesArtificial carbon dioxide leakage
CCS
CO 2 leakage
CO 2 migration
Simulated CO 2 Leakage
400 000 L
CO 2
CO 2 plume
soil gas samples
CO 2 sources
carbon isotope measurements
isotope monitoring approach
18 m depth