Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xx, 176 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 169-176). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 126 p. : ill. (some col.), col. map. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (site viewed April 26, 2007). PDF text: vii, 158 p. : ill. UMI publication number: AAT 3221294. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

To decrease carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere for climate change mitigation it is necessary to modify existing practices in processes where greenhouse gases are emitted. Due to the extremely large volumes of carbon dioxide produced globally, it is generally accepted that although carbon dioxide conversion and utilisation will contribute in the long term, in the short to medium term it will be necessary to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions to progress towards a low carbon future. Current industrial capture processes incur large energy and thus economic penalties. Storage in geological formations requires robust confidence in storage security to be publically accepted. Therefore the objective of this work was to study carbon dioxide capture and storage in processes directly confronting these two major challenges. Carbon dioxide adsorption on oxide materials for advanced carbon capture processes with lower energetic and economic penalties was investigated. Water was shown to play a crucial role in determining the presence of reactive sites, the speciation of carbonates formed and increased sorbent utilisation. A high surface area oxide with specifically exposed facets was prepared and the impact of these facets on carbon dioxide uptake performance was assessed. Volumetric gas adsorption and isotherm modelling supported the presence of two distinct adsorption sites. To enhance confidence in storage security it is necessary to understand storage processes that result in stable products. An apparatus capable of obtaining geological storage conditions was developed and carbonate formation and surface hydration at high pressure was investigated. By locating individual reactive cations on the surface of silica, silicate mineral analogues were prepared. It was shown that carbonate speciation was dependent on the reactive cation and the presence or absence of water.

<p>Increasing CO₂ concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere have led to global warming with climate change effects. Future RCP scenarios per the IPCC suggest that local solutions to limit emissions are necessary but may not suffice to combat the anthropogenic CO₂ problem. Climate intervention has been given increasing consideration. A climate intervention approach of removing CO₂ from the atmosphere through dry ice deposition and storage in Antarctica is considered. While the technology needs continued development, understanding the meteorological response to significant carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in Antarctica takes precedence. Various Antarctica CDR scenarios are simulated through the fully-coupled general circulation model CESM 2.1.1. Modern simulations (15 years) with prognostic CO₂ include 1) anthropogenic emissions (control), 2) no emissions, 3) emissions with ~4.5 ppmv sequestration annually (half sequestration), and 4) emissions with ~9 ppmv sequestration annually (full sequestration). Full sequestration attempts to remove enough CO₂ to achieve pre-industrial concentration by the end of the simulation. Experiments 1) and 3) were continued until mid-21st century (50 years total) with SSP1-2.6 conditions and emissions to examine the CDR impact on the atmosphere under the Paris Treaty Agreement scenario (which limits Earth's warming to 1.5^oC-2^oC above pre-industrial values). </p> <p> Modern simulations show sequestration scenarios have more of an impact on 2m-air temperature and little effect on precipitation patterns in 15 years. SSP1-2.6 simulations show that an additional 1^oC of warming can be inhibited by continuing sequestration and limiting emissions. Further, sequestration shows counteraction to warming in many of the locations that are predicted to warm per the RCP 2.6 scenario in the IPCC (2013), as well as counteraction to the predicted IPCC precipitation changes. These results are obtained from one simulation of each experiment, and it is recognized that ensemble runs in line with IPCC predictions are necessary to examine all possible predictions to CDR. Future considerations include sea level rise, carbon cycle response, convective parameters, and relocation of sequestration.<a></a></p>

The objective of this study was to develop a protocol to test the reactivity of glauconite, a Fe/Mg bearing aluminosilicate mineral, in carbon storage. A selected glauconite-rich sample from the Cambrian Riley Formation of Central Texas was used containing glauconite 38 wt%, quartz 58 wt%, and calcite 4 wt%. Ten experiments were conducted using two techniques where total pressure was: 1) controlled by delivering CO2 to a high-pressure apparatus; 2) kept at saturated vapor level in autoclaves. The treated glauconite samples were analyzed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM), and X-ray Diffraction techniques (XRD). Although the reaction between glauconite and CO2 was not visible, calcite crystallized in solution when its pH exceeded the value of 6.88. The research provides a foundation to develop further investigations of rock reactions under CO2 saturated conditions.

There is a growing need for employing sustainable soil improvement techniques. Concurrently, soil carbon sequestration methods continue to receive more attention in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas levels contributing to climate change. Exploring the use of gasifier biochar for soil improvement can possibility address these two needs simultaneously. This study investigates the effect of gasifier biochar amendment on mechanical, chemical and hydraulic properties of a local clay with poor engineering properties. Specifically, strength, swelling, compressibility, collapsibility, permeability, water retention, cation exchange capacity, pH, and microstructural characteristics were determined for the clay amended with 5, 10, and 20% biochar. Two sizes of biochar were used. The results showed that biochar amendment improves the strength, swelling potential, permeability, and water retention properties of the clay. Findings suggest that biochar amendment offers a sustainable solution for improving geotechnical properties of marginal soils while providing an efficient method for biospheric carbon sequestration.

The objective of this study was to examine some mechanisms of bottomland hardwood afforestation and their impacts on above- and belowground carbon sequestration. Six combinations of bottomland hardwood species and two levels each of fertilizer and herbicide were applied in a completely randomized design on two sites in the LMAV. Survival, ground line diameter and total height were monitored for two growing seasons. Soil carbon and nitrogen to a depth of one meter, herbaceous biomass, and tree biomass were sampled in the first and second years of establishment. Species mixes, fertilizer, and herbicide application significantly affected survival, growth, above- and belowground tree biomass carbon after two years of establishment. Survival was generally average, while growth for most species mixes was below expectation. Species mixes E (green ash/oak mix) and F (NRCS species mix) had the highest tree vegetation carbon both above- and belowground. Soil carbon and nitrogen were not significantly affected by any treatments.

No description available.

A recent concern is the cause and effect of global climate change. Many institutions give credit for these changes to the increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, in particular the increase in the amount of carbon dioxide present. There is a growing interest in carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a means to reduce the global impact of CO₂ on the climate as a greenhouse gas. Carbon capture is the process of removing CO₂ from the atmosphere as well as preventing it from entering the atmosphere by means of exhaust. The captured carbon is stored underground in reservoirs. These reservoirs have the storage space to handle the volume of CO₂ injected as well as a caprock layer preventing the injection fluid from returning to the surface. Additionally, CO₂ can be used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). To monitor the injection sites used for the CO₂ storage or EOR process, the integrity of the caprock as well as the surrounding rock formations are the locations of interest. Knowing when a joint or a fracture is going to slip is necessary to prevent major failures within geologic strata. It is necessary to prevent these slips from occurring to retain the integrity of the caprock, which is keeping the fluid within the reservoirs. Passive acoustic emissions monitoring was used to determine how effectively failure locations could be located in three unique tests. Coupled with double difference tomography, the failure of a Berea Sandstone sample and Marcellus Shale sample were calculated to determine how well the stress redistribution within the sample could be mapped using the recorded data. For the main indenter tests two samples were tested, a piece of Berea Sandstone and a piece of Marcellus Shale. The secondary test was a transform shear test using sandstone, and the third test for caprock upheaval test attempted to recreate the failure of caprock due to injection pressure. For all tests, the samples were monitored using acoustic emissions software until failure or it was deduced that the test would not produce failure. The secondary tests did not progress through the data analysis as far as the indentation tests, however valuable information was gathered from these tests. The shear test demonstrated the effectiveness of the passive acoustic emissions monitoring system to record shear failure. This test provides confidence in this technology to record and located events that are not occurring in compression. The caprock upheaval tests were not successful in causing failure in the caprock, however during the testing the passive acoustic emissions monitoring system was able record and locate events that occurred within the sample around the boundary on the reservoir. At the reservoir boundaries there was evidence of fluid flowing through the reservoir, and the events align with these locations. This positive result shows that the monitoring system is able to locate events induced by fluid injection. The results of these tests provide confidence in the passive acoustic emissions monitoring system to record accurate data for the caprock integrity monitoring. The tomograms created from the recorded data accurately imaged the areas of interest within the rock samples. From these results, passive acoustic emissions monitoring systems coupled with double difference tomography has proven capable of monitoring homogeneous samples within a laboratory environment. With further testing, this technology could possibly be a viable option for monitoring carbon sequestration sites. / Master of Science