Geological carbon sequestration is a process that involves the separation and capture of carbon dioxide at emission sources, followed by storage in deep underground geological formations. This method, also known as carbon capture and storage (CCS), aims to securely store carbon dioxide to prevent its release into the atmosphere and mitigate its impact on global warming as a greenhouse gas. The process includes placing carbon dioxide captured from sources such as power plants and industrial facilities deep underground into permeable and porous geological strata.
The goal is to effectively reduce or eliminate carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by isolating the injected CO2 in these formations for extended periods. The success of geologic sequestration is dependent on selecting appropriate geological formations and implementing proper sealing to contain the stored carbon dioxide. This approach is critical in addressing the rising CO2 emissions caused by human activity and is part of broader climate change initiatives.
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Geologic Vs Biologic Carbon Sequestration
Geologic sequestration refers to the storage of carbon dioxide in underground geological formations. Typically, carbon dioxide is pressurized until it becomes liquid before being injected into porous rock formations in geological basins. This carbon storage technique is sometimes used in combination with enhanced oil recovery, also known as tertiary recovery, especially in the later stages of an oil well’s productive life. In the context of enhanced oil recovery, liquid CO2 is introduced into the oil-bearing formation to reduce the viscosity of the oil, allowing it to flow more smoothly to the oil well.
Biologic carbon sequestration, on the other hand, refers to the retention of atmospheric carbon in various natural environments such as vegetation, soils, woody products, and aquatic environments. Proponents of biologic sequestration, for example, want to extract CO2 from the atmosphere by encouraging the growth of plants, particularly larger ones like trees.
Therefore, while geologic sequestration involves storing CO2 underground in geological formations, often through enhanced oil recovery processes, biologic carbon sequestration involves capturing and retaining atmospheric carbon in natural environments through the growth of vegetation and other organic materials.
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