With wind turbines in the distance, trucks survey a nondescript site in southeastern Washington state for what could be a major role in the fight against human-abetted global warming. If an upcoming test succeeds, ancient basalt formations deep underground could be used to store billions of tons of liquid carbon dioxide that may eventually mineralize into stable limestone.
-- Bryn Nelson"; Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i++] = new Array("","Basaltic formations","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080103/brill-080103-carbon1-10a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Pacific Northwest National Laboratory", "273", "365", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i-1].body = "Basaltic formations
Flood basalts of the Pacific Northwest may offer one potential carbon dioxide sink. For the Columbia River Basalt Group alone, conservative estimates of storage capacity exceed 100 gigatons of CO2 (equivalent to 1 trillion kilograms). One this map, dark blue indicates the Pacific Northwest’s underground basaltic formations, dark gray indicates the presence of other volcanic rocks, and yellow dots indicate major industrial CO2 sources."; Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i++] = new Array("","Carbon dioxide storage","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080103/brill-080103-carbon2-10a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Pacific NW National Laboratory", "273", "417", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i-1].body = "Carbon dioxide storage
This core sample of porous vesicular basalt, as it’s officially known, could be suitable for long-term carbon dioxide storage. Scientists will inject liquid CO2 into similar basalt found thousands of feet below the surface to determine if it will react with minerals within the basalt and become calcium carbonate (essentially limestone), permanently sequestering it underground. "; Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i++] = new Array("","Layers of lava flows","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080103/brill-080103-carbon3-10a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Pacific Northwest National Laboratory", "273", "244", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i-1].body = "Layers of lava flows
Flood basalts are increasingly being recognized as a potential storage site for carbon dioxide created through human activity. Layers of lava flows make up the Columbia River Basalt Group in the Pacific Northwest. Researchers are preparing to conduct a field test in southeastern Washington state and inject CO2 thousands of feet below ground to determine if these subsurface locations can sequester the gas for eternity. "; Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i++] = new Array("","Carbonate growths ","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080103/brill-080103-carbon4-10a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Pacific Northwest National Laboratory", "160", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i-1].body = "Carbonate growths
These highly magnified photos illustrate how carbon dioxide can react with minerals found in a sample grain of basalt, left, taken from the Columbia River Basalt Group in the Pacific Northwest. Results from lab experiments show rapid growth of carbonate precipitate, right, when CO2 is exposed to minerals found in basalt. These carbonate growths were observed after 377 days of testing at a pressure of 1,500 psi (normal atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi) and a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit. "; Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i++] = new Array("","Underground rock layers","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080103/brill-080103-carbon5-10a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Peter McGrail/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory", "273", "285", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); Tech_Frontiers_Carbon_080110[i-1].body = "Underground rock layers
Prior to a March pilot project in which researchers will inject 3,000 to 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide underground, workers are conducting seismic surveys of the bowl-shaped area in southeastern Washington. Huge trucks slam heavy weights into the ground to introduce a compression wave, and sensors monitor the wave energy reflected back. These surveying techniques can produce images of the underground rock layers, while a permanent seismic monitoring well will allow scientists to image the carbon dioxide once it’s injected.
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