Hydrogeology Department

On modeling the potential impacts of CO2 sequestration on shallow groundwater: Transport of organics and co-injected H2S by supercritical CO2 to shallow aquifers

February 1, 2013

Proper site selection for CO2 geologic storage requires assessing the impact of potential leakage of CO2 from deep subsurface reservoirs to overlying drinking water aquifers

Post Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Geophysics Department Hydrogeology Department Research Highlight

Laboratory seismic monitoring of supercritical CO2 flooding in sandstone cores using the Split Hopkinson Resonant Bar technique with concurrent x-ray CT imaging

February 1, 2013

ESD’s Seiji Nakagawa led a team of investigators (including ESD’s Tim Kneafsey, Tom Daley, and Barry Freifeld) in conducting laboratory measurements of the seismic properties of sandstones during supercritical CO2 injection.

Post Announcements Climate & Carbon Sciences Program Area Climate Sciences Department Ecology Department Ecosystems Biology Program Energy Resources Program Area Environmental Remediation & Water Resources Program Fundamental Earth Sciences Program Area Geochemistry Department Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Geophysics Department Hydrogeology Department Proposals

Call for Proposals for FY2014 LDRDs

January 18, 2013

Director Alivisatos recently issued the call for proposals for the FY2014 Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program. All scientific staff from our Division are encouraged to think of potential innovative proposal topics.

Post Climate & Carbon Sciences Program Area Climate Sciences Department Ecology Department Ecosystems Biology Program Energy Resources Program Area Environmental Remediation & Water Resources Program Events Fundamental Earth Sciences Program Area Geochemistry Department Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Geophysics Department Hydrogeology Department Nuclear Energy & Waste Program

ESD at AGU: A Zone of Constant Activity

January 8, 2013

The AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco last month (December 2012) was a great success, especially for LBNL’s Earth Sciences Division and our homebase at the site, the ESD booth—a zone of constant activity.

Post Fundamental Earth Sciences Program Area Geochemistry Department Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Geophysics Department Hydrogeology Department Research Highlight

Effect of dissolved CO2 on a shallow groundwater system: A controlled release experiment

January 1, 2013

Sequestering CO2 underground has its own set of environmental risks, including the potential migration of CO2 out of the storage reservoir and resulting acidification and release of trace constituents in shallow groundwater.

Post Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Hydrogeology Department Research Highlight

Probabilistic analysis of fracture reactivation associated with deep underground CO2 injection

January 1, 2013

ESD Jonny Rutqvist recently collaborated with Korean scientists Jaewon Lee and Ki-Bok Min in conducting coupled multiphase fluid flow and geomechanical modeling to investigate how deep underground injection of CO2 induces geomechanical changes within and around the injection zone.

Post Energy Resources Program Area Geochemistry Department Hydrogeology Department Research Highlight

Pat Dobson, Chile, and Geothermal Energy

December 22, 2012

ESD’s Pat Dobson recently traveled to Chile to explore geothermal-energy collaborations with Chile, and to increase the practical and theoretical experience of Chilean graduate students in geothermal geochemistry and numerical modeling.

Post Announcements Awards Climate & Carbon Sciences Program Area Climate Sciences Department Ecology Department Ecosystems Biology Program Energy Resources Program Area Environmental Remediation & Water Resources Program Fundamental Earth Sciences Program Area Geochemistry Department Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Geophysics Department Hydrogeology Department

ESD Scientists Win FY2013 LBNL LDRD Awards

December 21, 2012

Scientists within the Earth Sciences Division won a number of LBNL FY2013 Laboratory Directed Research and Development awards, as announced recently within TABL by Lab Director Paul Alivisatos and shown below. Bravo, all!

Post Announcements Geochemistry Department Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Geophysics Department Hydrogeology Department In The Press

Worldwide ESD Tracking of Geologic Carbon Sequestration

December 10, 2012

ESD’s Geologic Carbon Sequestration (GCS) Program website now features a searchable map of all the current, past, and future (planned) geologic carbon sequestration projects in the world today.

Post Fundamental Earth Sciences Program Area Hydrogeology Department In The Press

Was There Life on Mars? Crater Clues

December 4, 2012

ESD scientist Bill Dietrich explores the possibility of past life on Mars, noting that debris flows on Earth are able to carry boulders—as well as logs, cars, and even buildings—for very long distances. Martian gullies also culminate in lobe-like fans of eroded material, which are characteristic of debris-flow gullies on Earth.