HR: 1340h
AN: U43C-1382    [Abstracts]
TI: A global assessment of deep-sea basalt sites for carbon sequestration
AU: * Goldberg, D
EM: goldberg@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Rte 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, United States
AU: Slagle, A
EM: aslagle@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Rte 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, United States
AB: Assuring secure sequestration of anthropogenic carbon dioxide is one of our most pressing global scientific problems. Geological sequestration by injection of carbon dioxide into deep-sea basalt formations offers unique and significant advantages, such as: high porosity and permeability to accommodate large injected volumes, chemical reactivity of these formations with in situ fluids to produce stable and non-toxic carbonates, and reduced risk of post-injection leakage through geological, gravitational, and hydrate trapping mechanisms. We explore the scientific potential of deep-sea basalt locations among various oceans for long-term carbon sequestration. Using site-specific criteria to highlight the most secure sites, we identify potential target regions that occur along the flanks of oceanic ridges and compute the potential injection volume for each. The largest volume and most secure basalt sites occur in regions adjacent to intermediate-to-fast spreading mid-ocean ridges as well as deep aseismic ridges. We suggest that basalt crust along the flanks of such ridges offers vast capacity and potential for permanent sequestration of carbon dioxide to mitigate atmospheric buildup of this greenhouse gas.
DE: 0428 Carbon cycling (4806)
DE: 1021 Composition of the oceanic crust
DE: 1694 Instruments and techniques
DE: 3616 Hydrothermal systems (0450, 1034, 3017, 4832, 8135, 8424)
DE: 4806 Carbon cycling (0428)
SC: Union [U]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting