To combat climate change, carbon dioxide can be injected into subsurface rocks where it forms stable carbonate minerals, locking the gas away for millions of years. MIT geophysicists investigated how these mineral deposits influence the rocks' pore structures by injecting fluid into samples and applying X-ray imaging over time.
Their experiments revealed that permeability rapidly decreases as minerals precipitate in narrow connecting channels between larger pores, partially blocking fluid pathways. Despite this clogging, fluid flow continues through the rock, suggesting some storage capacity remains accessible. Porosity measurements remained stable, indicating total pore volume was not significantly reduced. These findings inform modeling of carbon mineralization and its impact on long-term storage efficiency.
Source & further reading
X-raying rocks reveals their carbon-storing capacity ↗Source published 2026-03-06. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.