Mapping observations using AUV and numerical simulations of leaked CO2 diffusion in sub-seabed CO2 release experiment at Ardmucknish Bay

摘要

A controlled sub-seabed CO2 release experiment (QICS: quantifying and monitoring potential impacts of geological carbon storage) was conducted in Ardmucknish Bay, Scotland, in 2012, to quantify the effect of leaked CO2 on marine environments. In this experiment, CO2 was injected beneath the seafloor, and closely monitored as the CO2 was allowed to leak into the overlying water column. We performed mapping observations using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) equipped with sensors to monitor physical and chemical conditions in the vicinity of the CO2 leakage. We also numerically simulated the behavior of the low-pH plume caused by the CO2 leakage, within the calculated tidal current in the bay.