Carbon storage in reactive rock systems: determining the coupling of geo-chemo-mechanical processes in reactive transport
Not stated
- Location
- Southampton, United Kingdom
- Funding
- Fully funded (UK and international); Stipend in line with UKRI standard levels, including the recent cost of living increase
- Application deadline
- See university guidance
About the project
When carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) comes in contact with mafic to ultramafic rocks (e.g. basalt, peridotite), mineral dissolution and precipitation reactions produce carbonate minerals. This process provides a pathway by which CO 2 can be removed from the atmosphere and permanently stored in the geologic subsurface.
Engineering this CO 2 mineralization process has the potential to remove mega- to giga-tonnes of CO 2 per year. To develop the full CO 2 removal potential of these rocks, we must understand the fundamental processes of fluid flow and reactive transport of these fractured multi-scale rock systems, where permeability, porosity and reactive surface area are continually changing through time.
The principal aim of this project is:
For full project details visit the Inspire project page .
- to examine how geo-chemo-mechanical processes affect the overall CO 2 mineralisation capacity of basalts and peridotites; and
- to deliver physical and geochemical benchmark data for the development of a micro-scale mechanical model (pore scale) and an upscaled continuum model, the latter of which will be used to study and predict the chemo-hydraulic interactions between fractures and rock matrix during CO 2 mineralisation.
Supervisors
- Professor Juerg Matter (University of Southampton)
- Dr Ismael Falcon Suarez (National Oceanography Centre)
- Professor Joseph Labuz (University of Minnesota, USA)
Potential supervisors
- Potential supervisors: Lead supervisor
Entry requirements
A 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent , in one of these subjects:
- engineering
- geology
- geophysics
Fees and funding
INSPIRE studentships are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, part of UK Research and Innovation, UKRI). The stipend is in line with UKRI standard levels, including the recent cost of living increase.
All studentships are fully funded for 3.5 years.
How to apply
To make an application, visit the how to apply section of the INSPIRE website .
Contact us
For questions about the project, contact Professor Juerg Matter.
Email: j.matter@southampton.ac.uk
For questions about the application process, contact the graduate school office.
Email: gsnocs@soton.ac.uk