CO2 Surface Monitoring

Eric Price

LI-COR Biosciences

June 12, 2015

Who We Are

LI-COR Biosciences

Scientific instrumentation manufacturer

What We Do

CO2 Surface Monitoring

Leaks from CO2 storage?

Why Surface Monitoring?

Demonstrate that carbon storage is a viable permanent sequestration option

Track migration over time for validation and calibration of model predictions and monitoring tools

Assure the public that human health and the environment are high priorities Establish pre-injection baseline conditions

Refine early warning tools of storage leaks and diagnosis of possible leak causes

Surface Monitoring Methods

Atmospheric

Surface Flux

CO2 Mapping

Atmospheric Measurements

Air flow can be imagined as a horizontal flow of numerous rotating eddies of various sizes

Each eddy has 3D components

Each eddy is carrying a certain amount of molecules of C02 and other gases

Eddy Covariance Method

Micrometeorological technique to measure

vertical turbulent flux of CO2 and other gases

Nearly direct measurement, proven method

Requires a number of mathematical

corrections and careful system design, but

provides year-round continuous data with

little maintenance and automated data

processing

Instrumentation

CO2/H2O Analyzers

LI-7200

Enclosed

Sonic Anemometer

LI-7500A

Open-Path

Instrumentation

Gas analyzer(s) and sonic

anemometer mounted on

tower or tripod

Measurement footprint is

100x height of analyzers

Ancillary measurements

add explanatory power and

can improve calculations

Eddy Covariance Method

Surface Flux

Accumulation Chamber Method

Accumulation Chamber Method

Instrumentation

LI-8100A Automated Soil CO2 Flux System

Spatial Sampling

Temporal Sampling

Spatial and Temporal Sampling

Requirements for a Good Measurement

CO2soil not disturbed

Pbench ~ Pambient

CO2chamber = CO2

air

Pchamber = Pambient

Good mixing

No disturbance to soil moisture,

temperature, or radiation

FCO2 (CO2soil - CO2

chamber) + mass flow

Illustration credit: Richard Esposito, Southern Company

CO2 Surface Mapping

Instrumentation

Surface Sampling Methods

400

450

500 ppm

Surface Monitoring Methods

Atmospheric Flux

Large scale (km)

Continuous monitoring

Surface Flux

Small scale (m)

Continuous monitoring

CO2 Mapping

Medium scale (m)

Non-continuous

Conclusions

Surface CO2 measurements can be an

important part of an MVA protocol

A baseline understanding of the ecosystem

CO2 flux is essential for any type of leak

detection

A combination of diurnal and spatial

measurements can answer the background

questions quickly and effectively

Public perception is key

Resources at www.licor.com/env

Carbon Sequestration http://www.licor.com/env/applications/carbon_sequestration.html

Surface Monitoring for Carbon Sequestration http://www.licor.com/env/pdf/soil_flux/ccs2013.pdf

Carbon Sequestration Pilot Studies http://www.licor.com/env/pdf/soil_flux/secarb.pdf

Mapping CO2 Concentrations and Fluxes http://www.licor.com/env/pdf/soil_flux/MappingCO2_with_LI8100A.pdf

Measuring High Flux Rates with the LI-8100A http://www.licor.com/env/pdf/soil_flux/High_CO2_Note.pdf

Resources at www.licor.com/env

Eddy Covariance book

Webinars

LI-8100A Soil CO2 Flux

System manual

LI-COR Science and

Support Team

(envsupport@licor.com)