Comments on: Carbon Sequestration in Deep Sea Sediments http://geology.rockbandit.net/2006/08/07/carbon-sequestration-in-deep-sea-sediments/ The latest and greatest news in geology, from around the world. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:44:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Lab Lemming http://geology.rockbandit.net/2006/08/07/carbon-sequestration-in-deep-sea-sediments/#comment-104 Lab Lemming Wed, 16 Aug 2006 13:19:37 +0000 http://geology.rockbandit.net/2006/08/07/carbon-sequestration-in-deep-sea-sediments/#comment-104 The geothermal gradient is such that pure CO2 starting at the bottom of a cold ocean should revert to gas because, as it sinks, it will warm faster than it pressurizes. Presumably only a small subset of available sediments will have the appropriate structure to actually trap fluids. Just thinkin'. The geothermal gradient is such that pure CO2 starting at the bottom of a cold ocean should revert to gas because, as it sinks, it will warm faster than it pressurizes.

Presumably only a small subset of available sediments will have the appropriate structure to actually trap fluids.

Just thinkin’.

]]> By: Dave http://geology.rockbandit.net/2006/08/07/carbon-sequestration-in-deep-sea-sediments/#comment-101 Dave Tue, 08 Aug 2006 22:30:20 +0000 http://geology.rockbandit.net/2006/08/07/carbon-sequestration-in-deep-sea-sediments/#comment-101 Not sure. Since they want to pump it in between sedimentary layers, it won't really "sink" at all (though I'm not sure what the geothermal boiling level is/means?). Supposedly the pressure of the overlying rock units and water will be high enough to keep this in a perpetual liquid (and therefore more dense) state. Anyway, I'm really trying not to editorialize articles when I post them, but I don't know how much I buy their research. Or at least the practical applications behind it. Plus, we know the sea isn't a static environment anyway (i.e., marine fossils found at the top of Mount Everest, granted something like that takes many tens of millions of years). From what I gather, they'll need to have some sort of reservoir to pump the CO2 into. And you'll need to use quite a bit of energy to either pump the CO2 into the reservoirs at high pressure or convert it to a liquid state and then pump it into the reservoir. So you'll probably be creating a lot of CO2 in order to bury the CO2. Not sure. Since they want to pump it in between sedimentary layers, it won’t really “sink” at all (though I’m not sure what the geothermal boiling level is/means?). Supposedly the pressure of the overlying rock units and water will be high enough to keep this in a perpetual liquid (and therefore more dense) state.

Anyway, I’m really trying not to editorialize articles when I post them, but I don’t know how much I buy their research. Or at least the practical applications behind it. Plus, we know the sea isn’t a static environment anyway (i.e., marine fossils found at the top of Mount Everest, granted something like that takes many tens of millions of years).

From what I gather, they’ll need to have some sort of reservoir to pump the CO2 into. And you’ll need to use quite a bit of energy to either pump the CO2 into the reservoirs at high pressure or convert it to a liquid state and then pump it into the reservoir. So you’ll probably be creating a lot of CO2 in order to bury the CO2.

]]> By: Lab Lemming http://geology.rockbandit.net/2006/08/07/carbon-sequestration-in-deep-sea-sediments/#comment-99 Lab Lemming Tue, 08 Aug 2006 08:40:37 +0000 http://geology.rockbandit.net/2006/08/07/carbon-sequestration-in-deep-sea-sediments/#comment-99 If the CO2 is denser than water, won't it just sink until it crosses the geothermal boiling level? If the CO2 is denser than water, won’t it just sink until it crosses the geothermal boiling level?

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