J. Alcalde and C.E. Bond were supported by ClimateXChange, on the project: Work stream on Perception and Communication of Risk and Uncertainty. The input of P. Smith contributes to the following projects: DEVIL (NE/M021327/1), MAGLUE (EP/M013200/1), U-GRASS (NE/M016900/1), Assess-BECCS (funded by UKERC) and Soils-RGRREAT (NE/P019455/1). R. S. Haszeldine is funded by the Scottish Government (SCCS 2017) and EPSRC EP/P026214/1. ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF
7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table ; The reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission rates alone appears insufficient to limit the rise in global temperatures. Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) can be helpful in this critical goal by actively removing CO from the atmosphere. Industrialised countries like Scotland will require NETs to address their climate targets and reach net-zero carbon emissions in a timely manner. However, the implementation of NETs has varied energy, economic and environmental implications that need to be analysed in detail. In this paper, we explore the potential energy and economic costs for implementation of land-based NETs in Scotland. This analysis is based on the calculated averaged costs of the different technologies and the availability of resources for its implementation in Scotland. We found that the country has a maximum technical potential to abate 90–100% of its annual CO emissions by means of land-based NETs, thanks to its low annual emissions and large land area for implementation of NETs. Even in less optimistic scenarios, Scotland is exceptionally well suited for land NETs, which can complement and enhance the potential of more conventional technologies, like renewable energy resources. Our results show that Scotland could lead the transformation towards a carbon-neutral society ; The input of P. Smith contributes to the following projects: DEVIL (NE/M021327/1), MAGLUE (EP/M013200/1), U-GRASS (NE/M016900/1), Assess-BECCS (funded by UKERC) and Soils-RGRREAT (NE/P019455/1). R. S. Haszeldine is funded by the Scottish Government (SCCS 2017) and EPSRC EP/P026214/1 ; Peer Reviewed
Juan Alcalde has been supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (grant no. NE/M007251/1) and the H2020 European Institute of Innovation and Technology (SIT4ME (grant no. 17024)). Clare E. Bond is currently funded through a Royal Society of Edinburgh research sabbatical on uncertainty in seismic image interpretation. Gareth Johnson is funded by the University of Strathclyde Faculty of Engineering. Oriol Ferrer has been supported by the SALCONBELT Project (grant no. CGL2017-85532-P), the Geomodels Research Institute and the Grup de Geodinàmica i Anàlisi de Conques (grant no. 2017SGR-596). Puy Ayarza is funded by the Regional Government of Castile and León (project SA065P17). The seismic image used in the experiment is available on the Virtual Seismic Atlas (https://www.seismicatlas.org, last access: 30 September 2019). The questionnaire presented to the participants is available in the Supplement. Interpretations and statistical analyses are available upon request. ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF
Acknowledgments The authors sincerely thank the Guest Editor Irina Artemieva and the two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments. Funding for this Project has been partially provided by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, through the CIUDEN-CSIC-Inst. Jaume Almera agreement (ALM-09-027: Characterization, Development and Validation of Seismic Techniques applied to CO2 Geological Storage Sites) and by the European Union through the Technology Demonstration Plant of Compostilla OXYCFB300 Project (European Energy Programme for Recovery). Additional support has been provided by Spanish Ministry of Education Science (CSD2006-00041), Generalitat de Catalunya (2009SGR006) and CSIC JAE-Doc postdoctoral research contract (E.S.). The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the authors. The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. Juan Alcalde is being currently supported by the Fundación Ciudad de la Energía (CIUDEN) Research training program. The authors would like to sincerely thank Javier Elío for his kind help with the capacity estimation calculations, Institut Geològic de Catalunya for their useful work with the GWs, GEMODELS/UB and to all the people involved directly or indirectly in the elaboration of this work. ; Peer reviewed ; Postprint
Hontomín (N of Spain) hosts the first Spanish CO2 storage pilot plant. The subsurface characterization of the site included the acquisition of a 3-D seismic reflection and a circumscribed 3-D magnetotelluric (MT) survey. This paper addresses the combination of the seismic and MT results, together with the available well-log data, in order to achieve a better characterization of the Hontomín subsurface. We compare the structural model obtained from the interpretation of the seismic data with the geoelectrical model resulting from the MT data. The models correlate well in the surroundings of the CO2 injection area with the major structural differences observed related to the presence of faults. The combination of the two methods allowed a more detailed characterization of the faults, defining their geometry, and fluid flow characteristics, which are key for the risk assessment of the storage site. Moreover, we use the well-log data of the existing wells to derive resistivity-velocity relationships for the subsurface and compute a 3-D velocity model of the site using the 3-D resistivity model as a reference. The derived velocity model is compared to both the predicted and logged velocity in the injection and monitoring wells, for an overall assessment of the computed resistivity-velocity relationships. The major differences observed are explained by the different resolution of the compared geophysical methods. Finally, the derived velocity model for the near surface is compared with the velocity model used for the static corrections in the seismic data. The results allowed extracting information about the characteristics of the shallow unconsolidated sediments, suggesting possible clay and water content variations. The good correlation of the velocity models derived from the resistivity-velocity relationships and the well-log data demonstrate the potential of the combination of the two methods for characterizing the subsurface, in terms of its physical properties (velocity, resistivity) and structural/reservoir characteristics. This work explores the compatibility of the seismic and magnetotelluric methods across scales highlighting the importance of joint interpretation in near surface and reservoir characterization. ; Xènia Ogaya is currently supported in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies by a Science Foundation Ireland grant IRECCSEM (SFI grant 12/IP/1313). Juan Alcalde is funded by NERC grant NE/M007251/1, on interpretational uncertainty. Juanjo Ledo, Pilar Queralt and Alex Marcuello thank Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and EU Feder Funds through grant CGL2014-54118-C2-1-R. Funding for this Project has been partially provided by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, through the CIUDEN-CSIC-Inst. Jaume Almera agreement (ALM-09-027: Characterization, Development and Validation of Seismic Techniques applied to CO2 Geological Storage Sites), the CIUDEN-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera agreement (ALM-09-009 Development and Adaptation of Electromagnetic techniques: Characterisation of Storage Sites) and the project PIERCO2 (Progress In Electromagnetic Research for CO2 geological reservoirs CGL2009-07604). The CIUDEN project is co-financed by the European Union through the Technological Development Plant of Compostilla OXYCFB300 Project (European Energy Programme for Recovery). ; Peer reviewed
Acknowledgements. This work is dedicated to the memory of Andrés Pérez-Estaún, brilliant scientist, colleague, and friend. The authors sincerely thank Ian Ferguson and an anonymous reviewer for their useful comments on the manuscript. Xènia Ogaya is currently supported in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies by a Science Foundation Ireland grant IRECCSEM (SFI grant 12/IP/1313). Juan Alcalde is funded by NERC grant NE/M007251/1, on interpretational uncertainty. Juanjo Ledo, Pilar Queralt and Alex Marcuello thank Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and EU Feder Funds through grant CGL2014- 54118-C2-1-R. Funding for this Project has been partially provided by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, through the CIUDEN-CSIC-Inst. Jaume Almera agreement (ALM-09-027: Characterization, Development and Validation of Seismic Techniques applied to CO2 Geological Storage Sites), the CIUDEN-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera agreement (ALM-09-009 Development and Adaptation of Electromagnetic techniques: Characterisation of Storage Sites) and the project PIERCO2 (Progress In Electromagnetic Research for CO2 geological reservoirs CGL2009-07604). The CIUDEN project is co-financed by the European Union through the Technological Development Plant of Compostilla OXYCFB300 Project (European Energy Programme for Recovery). ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF
The Basque–Cantabrian Basin of the northern Iberia Peninsula constitutes a unique example of a major deformation system, featuring a dome structure developed by extensional tectonics followed by compressional reactivation. The occurrence of natural resources in the area and the possibility of establishing a geological storage site for carbon dioxide motivated the acquisition of a 3-D seismic reflection survey in 2010, centered on the Jurassic Hontomín dome. The objectives of this survey were to obtain a geological model of the overall structure and to establish a baseline model for a possible geological CO2 storage site. The 36 km 2 survey included approximately 5000 mixed (Vibroseis and explosives) source points recorded with a 25 m inline source and receiver spacing. The target reservoir is a saline aquifer, at approximately 1450 m depth, encased and sealed by carbonate formations. Acquisition and processing parameters were influenced by the rough topography and relatively complex geology. A strong near-surface velocity inversion is evident in the data, affecting the quality of the data. The resulting 3-D image provides constraints on the key features of the geologic model. The Hontomín structure is interpreted to consist of an approximately 107 m2 large elongated dome with two major (W–E and NW–SE) striking faults bounding it. Preliminary capacity estimates indicate that about 1.2 Gt of CO2 can be stored in the target reservoir ; Funding for this Project has been partially provided by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, through the CIUDEN-CSIC-Inst. Jaume Almera agreement (Characterization, Development and Validation of Seismic Techniques applied to CO2 Geological Storage Sites) and by the European Union through the Technology Demonstration Plant of Compostilla OXYCFB300 project (European Energy Programme for 534 Recovery). Additional support has been provided by Spanish Ministry of Education Science (CSD2006-00041), Generalitat de Catalunya (2009SGR006) and CSIC JAE-Doc postdoctoral research contract (E.S.). ; Peer Reviewed
The structure of the Hontomín CO2 geological storage research facility has been addressed combining 3D seismic reflection data, borehole information and microgravity data. The integrated interpretation constrains the basement structural setting geometry and that of the sedimentary succession. The study unravels the deep structure and topography of the basement and quantifies the thickness of the Triassic Keuper evaporites. We describe a half-graben setting filled with Keuper evaporites (up to 2000 m) forming an extensional forced fold. Three set of faults are identified with two main fault systems compartmentalizing the area into three differentiated blocks. These faults have been interpreted to be reactivated normal faults that have led to the formation of the Hontomín dome. ; The datasets in this work have been funded by Fundación Ciudad de la Energía (Spanish Government, www.ciuden.es) and by the European Union through the "European Energy Programme for Recovery" and the Compostilla OXYCFB300 project. Dr. Juan Alcalde is currently funded by NERC grant NE/M007251/1. ; Peer Reviewed
The structure of the Hontomín CO2 geological storage research facility has been addressed combining 3D seismic reflection data, borehole information and microgravity data. The integrated interpretation constrains the basement structural setting geometry and that of the sedimentary succession. The study unravels the deep structure and topography of the basement and quantifies the thickness of the Triassic Keuper evaporites. We describe a half-grabensetting filled with Keuper evaporites (up to 2000 m) forming an extensional forced fold. Three set of faults are identified with two main fault systems compartmentalizing the area into three differentiated blocks. These faults have been interpreted to be reactivated normal faults that have led to the formation of the Hontomín dome. ; The datasets in this work have been funded by Fundación Ciudad de la Energía (Spanish Government, www.ciuden.es) and by the European Union throughthe "European Energy Programme for Recovery" and the Compostilla OXYCFB300 project. Dr. Juan Alcalde is currently funded by NERC grant NE/M007251/1. ; Peer Reviewed
The critical zone (CZ) represents the most-shallow subsurface, where the bio-, hydro-, and geospheres interact with anthropogenic activity. To characterize the thickness and lateral variations of the CZ, here we focus on the Eastern Betic Shear Zone (EBSZ), one of the most tectonically active regions in the Iberian Peninsula. Within the EBSZ, the Guadalentín Depression is a highly populated area with intensive agricultural activity, where the characterization of the CZ would provide valuable assets for land use management and seismic hazard assessments. To achieve this, we have conducted an interdisciplinary geophysical study along the eastern border of the Guadalentín Depression to characterize the CZ and the architecture of the shallow subsurface. The datasets used include Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), first-arrival travel time seismic tomography, and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW). The geophysical datasets combined help to constrain the high-resolution structure of the subsurface and image active fault systems along four transects. The resulting geophysical models have allowed us to interpret the first ~150 m of the subsurface and has revealed: (i) the variable thickness of the CZ; (ii) the CZ relationship between the fault zone and topographic slope; and (iii) the differences in CZ thickness associated with the geological units. Our results provide a method for studying the shallow subsurface of active faults, complementing previous geological models based on paleo-seismological trenches, and can be used to improve the CZ assessment of tectonically active regions. ; The authors would like to thank the following: The project INTERGEO (CGL2013-47412-C2-1-P) GEO3BCN-CSIC for providing access to the data. SeisDARE provides public access to the seismic data [86]. The KEMDIKBUDRISTEK of the Republic of Indonesia for providing a Ph.D. scholarship to the first author. The GIPP-GFZ (Germany) and Lisbon University (Portugal) provided the instrumentation. Additionally, we sincerely thank Seismic Unix CWP (Center for Wave Phenomena, Colorado School of Mines) for allowing us to use the free academic license software, and we also thank everyone who was directly or indirectly involved in this work. J.A. is funded by grant IJC2018-036074-I and by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033. I.P. is funded by the Spanish Government and the Universidad de Salamanca (Beatriz Galindo grant BEGAL 18/00090). This project was funded by Grant 2017SGR1022 (GREG) from the Generalitat de Catalunya (AGAUR); EU (H2020) 871121 (EPOS-SP); and EIT-RawMaterias 17024 from the European Institute of Technology (EIT) (SIT4ME). ; Peer reviewed
We dedicate this paper to the memory of Prof. Andres Perez Estaún, who was a great and committed scientist, wonderful colleague and even better friend. The datasets in this work have been funded by Fundación Ciudad de la Energía (Spanish Government, www.ciuden.es) and by the European Union through the "European Energy Programme 15 for Recovery" and the Compostilla OXYCFB300 project. Dr. Juan Alcalde is currently funded by NERC grant NE/M007251/1. Simon Campbell and Samuel Cheyney are acknowledged for thoughtful comments on gravity inversion ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF