Hydrology and Land Surface Studies

Convective dissolution of carbon dioxide in saline aquifers

  1. Jerome A. Neufeld1,
  2. Marc A. Hesse2,
  3. Amir Riaz3,
  4. Mark A. Hallworth1,
  5. Hamdi A. Tchelepi4,
  6. Herbert E. Huppert1

Article first published online: 24 NOV 2010

DOI: 10.1029/2010GL044728

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Neufeld, J. A., M. A. Hesse, A. Riaz, M. A. Hallworth, H. A. Tchelepi, and H. E. Huppert (2010), Convective dissolution of carbon dioxide in saline aquifers, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L22404, doi:10.1029/2010GL044728.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

  2. 2

    Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA

  3. 3

    Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

  4. 4

    Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 24 NOV 2010
  2. Article first published online: 24 NOV 2010
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 27 SEP 2010
  4. Manuscript Revised: 23 SEP 2010
  5. Manuscript Received: 17 JUL 2010

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Keywords:

  • convection;
  • porous media;
  • carbon capture and storage;
  • carbon sequestration;
  • carbon cycle

[1] Geological carbon dioxide (CO2) storage is a means of reducing anthropogenic emissions. Dissolution of CO2 into the brine, resulting in stable stratification, increases storage security. The dissolution rate is determined by convection in the brine driven by the increase of brine density with CO2 saturation. We present a new analogue fluid system that reproduces the convective behaviour of CO2-enriched brine. Laboratory experiments and high-resolution numerical simulations show that the convective flux scales with the Rayleigh number to the 4/5 power, in contrast with a classical linear relationship. A scaling argument for the convective flux incorporating lateral diffusion from downwelling plumes explains this nonlinear relationship for the convective flux, provides a physical picture of high Rayleigh number convection in a porous medium, and predicts the CO2 dissolution rates in CO2 accumulations. These estimates of the dissolution rate show that convective dissolution can play an important role in enhancing storage security.

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