FACT SHEETS: Carbon Sequestration in Indiana Fact sheets

Abstract

Indiana is one of the top emitters of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the country. Elevated levels of CO₂ in the atmosphere lead to changes in the Earth’s climate. One practice being explored to help reduce CO₂ emissions is carbon sequestration. Geologic carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing CO₂ in underground rock formations. The publication “Carbon Sequestration in Indiana—a Brief Overview” in Vol. 7 of the Indiana Journal of Earth Sciences addresses many different aspects of carbon sequestration such as the necessary requirements, regulatory oversight, and the potential risks. The purpose of these two plain-language fact sheets in IJES Vol. 8 is to further explain some of the technical details of topics mentioned in the publication. Fact sheet 1 addresses why Indiana is being considered for geologic carbon sequestration by discussing which rock formations are being explored as potential caprocks and storage reservoirs. Fact sheet 2 illustrates how CO₂ is stored in a geologic carbon storage system by discussing the significance of supercritical CO₂ and the trapping mechanisms that can occur in the storage reservoir.