Effect of reactive surface area of minerals on mineralization trapping of CO_2 in saline aquifers

The reactive surface area, an important parameter controlling mineral reactions, affects the amount of mineralization trapping of CO2 which affects the long-term CO2 storage. The effect of the reactive surface area on the mineralization trapping of CO2 was numerically simulated for CO2 storage in saline aquifers. Three kinds of minerals, including anorthite, calcite and kaolinite, are involved in the mineral reactions. This paper models the relationship between the specific surface area and the grain diameter of anorthite based on experimental data from literature （Brantley and Mellott, 2000）. When the reactive surface areas of anorthite and calcite decrease from 838 to 83.8 m^2/m^3, the percentage of mineralization trapping of CO： after 500 years decreases from 11.8% to 0.65%. The amount of dissolved anorthite and the amounts of precipitated kaolinite and calcite decrease significantly when the reactive surface areas ofanorthite and calcite decrease from 838 to 83.8 m2/m3. Calcite is initially dissolved in the brine and then precipitates during the geochemical reactions between CO2-H20 and the minerals. Different reactive surface areas of anorthite and calcite lead to different times from dissolution to precipitation. The pH of the brine decreases with decreasing reactive surface areas of anorthite and calcite which influences the acidity of the saline aquifer. The gas saturation between the upper and lower parts of the saline aquifer increases with decreasing reactive surface areas of anorthite and calcite. The mass density distribution of brine solution shows that the CO2^＋brine solution region increases with decreasing reactive surface areas ofanorthite and calcite.

Organo-mineral complexes in soil colloids:Implications for carbon storage in saline-alkaline paddy soils from an eight-year field experiment

The combination of organic carbon(OC) and reactive minerals is a crucial mechanism of soil carbon(C) storage, which is regulated by the formation of organo-mineral complexes on the surface of soil colloids. The effect of organic fertilizer on the storage mechanism of OC in soil colloids was studied through an 8-year field experiment, which included four treatments: i) no fertilization(control, CK), ii) only mineral N, P, and K fertilization(NPK), iii) NPK plus a low level(450 kg C ha^(-1)year^(-1)) of organic fertilization(NPKC1), and iv) NPK plus a high level(900 kg C ha^(-1)year^(-1)) of organic fertilization(NPKC2). The main results indicated that organic fertilizer addition significantly increased the content of aromatic-C, which was 158.7% and 140.0% higher in soil colloids than in bulk soil in the NPKC1 and NPKC2 treatments, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy further demonstrated that the relative proportion of C=C group on the surface of soil colloids was increased by 20.1% and 19.1% in the NPKC1 and NPKC2 treatments, respectively,compared with the CK. In addition, compared with the NPK treatment, the content of reactive minerals(such as Fe and Al oxides) significantly increased with organic fertilization, which was positively correlated with C=C group in soil colloids. This indicates that aromatic-C may be retained by the formation of aromatic-mineral complexes with reactive minerals in soil colloids. Organic fertilization also significantly increased OC storage efficiency(OCSE), which was significantly higher in the NPKC1 treatment than in the NPKC2 treatment. Therefore, a moderate amount of organic fertilizer application is a better agronomic practice to increase OCSE and OC storage in saline-alkaline paddy soils.

Reactive Transport Modeling of Long-Term CO2 Sequestration Mechanisms at the Shenhua CCS Demonstration Project,China

Carbon dioxide injection into deep saline aquifers results in a variety of strongly coupled physical and chemical processes. In this study, reactive transport simulations using a 2-D radial model were performed to investigate the fate of the injected CO2, the effect of CO2-water-rock interactions on mineral alteration, and the long-term CO2 sequestration mechanisms of the Liujiagou Formation sandstone at the Shenhua CCS（carbon capture and storage） pilot site of China. Carbon dioxide was injected at a constant rate of 0.1 Mt/year for 30 years, and the fluid flow and geochemical transport simulation was run for a period of 10 000 years by the TOUGHREACT code according to the underground conditions of the Liujiagou Formation. The results show that different trapping phases of CO2 vary with time. Sensitivity analyses indicate that plagioclase composition and chlorite presence are the most significant determinants of stable carbonate minerals and CO2 mineral trapping capacity. For arkosic arenite in the Liujiagou Formation, CO2 can be immobilized by precipitation of ankerite, magnesite, siderite, dawsonite, and calcite for different mineral compositions, with Ca（2＋）, Mg（2＋）, Fe（2＋） and Na＋ provided by dissolution of calcite, albite（or oligoclase） and chlorite. This study can provide useful insights into the geochemistry of CO2 storage in other arkosic arenite（feldspar rich sandstone） formations at other pilots or target sites.

The effect of iron on the preservation of organic carbon in marine sediments and its implications for carbon sequestration

Marine sediments are the most significant reservoir of organic carbon(OC)in Earth′s surface system.Iron,a crucial component of the marine biogeochemical cycle,has a considerable impact on marine ecology and carbon cycling.Understanding the effect of iron on the preservation of OC in marine sediments is essential for comprehending biogeochemical processes of carbon and climate change.This review summarizes the methods for characterizing the content and structure of iron-bound OC and explores the influencing mechanism of iron on OC preservation in marine sediments from two aspects:the selective preservation of OC by reactive iron minerals(iron oxides and iron sulfides)and iron redox processes.The selective preservation of sedimentary OC is influenced by different types of reactive iron minerals,OC reactivity,and functional groups.The iron redox process has dual effects on the preservation and degradation of OC.By considering sedimentary records of iron-bound OC across diverse marine environments,the role of iron in long-term preservation of OC and its significance for carbon sequestration are illustrated.Future research should focus on identifying effective methods for extracting reactive iron,the effect of diverse functional groups and marine sedimentary environments on the selective preservation of OC,and the mediation of microorganisms.Such work will help elucidate the influencing mechanisms of iron on the long-term burial and preservation of OC and explore its potential application in marine carbon sequestration to maximize its role in achieving carbon neutrality.