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Updated: Dec 23, 2025

Measuring Carbon-based Contaminant Mineralization Using Combined CO2 Flux and Radiocarbon Analyses
Published on: October 21, 2016
Reproducing natural variations in CO2 concentration in vadose zone wells with observed atmospheric pressure and
1School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Continuous CO2 gas monitoring was performed to understand the natural variations of the gas concentration in the vadose zone wells. The monitoring results demonstrated sudden rise and fall signals, which posed a possibility of error in interpreting the CO2 leaking signal from the sequestrating reservoir or evaluating the quantity of removed VOCs at a contaminated site. Based on the monitoring data, conceptual models were established and three cases were numerically simulated to determine whether or not reproducing the natural variations of gas concentration is possible. The simulated numerical model indicated that the atmospheric pressure and groundwater level data should be considered together, rather just only one boundary condition each (top or bottom). Reproducing the natural pattern of the target gas and understanding the gas flow and transport under real closed natural conditions would also be useful. The results demonstrated the need for numerical simulation to predict the natural pattern of the CO2 gas concentration before designing or performing actual CO2 release test or CO2 leakage monitoring in the wells of the vadose zone, as well as at the geologic carbon sequestration site.
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