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The Use of Weight of Evidence for Environmental Quality Assessment in Sediments Above Sub-Seabed Geological Formations for the Storage of Carbon Dioxide

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Oceans and the Atmospheric Carbon Content

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Abstract

The need for short-term measures to reduce the amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere has led to consider CO2 sequestration as an essential measure to be able to meet nowadays targets. However, uncertainties related to this option, in particular in relation to control on impurities of the stored gas stream, site selection and characterization, monitoring, allowed leakage rates, estimation of potential impacts and remediation of local damages in the short and long term, etc. have led the international community to develop some guidelines and frameworks within which to regulate this activity. Permanent containment of the storage sites is expected, however it is necessary to determine the risk of leakage to the marine environment and its effects. The application of the Weight-of-Evidence approach for environmental quality assessment in sediments above sub-seabed geological formations for the storage of carbon dioxide can be of paramount importance to determine the effects and potential consequences of the leakage of CO2. This methodology satisfies the requirements set by the 1992 OSPAR Convention and 1996 London Protocol to ensure permanent containment and to guarantee the integrity of the marine environment and human health.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    1 The expression ‘very likely’ used in this statement indicates a probability between 90–99% (IPCC 2005).

  2. 2.

    2 The expression ‘likely’ indicates a probability between 66–90% (IPCC 2005).

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants funded by the Spanish Ministry of Environment during years 2006 and 2007. Also the Ministry for Science and Innovation partially funded this research through grants CTM2008-06344-C03-03/TECNO y CTM2008-06344-C03-02/TECNO and the ‘Junta de Andalucia’ through Excellence projects RNM-3924. Diana Fernandez de la Reguera thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education for her research fellowship (FPI). Dra. Inmaculada Riba thanks the Spanish program ‘Ramón y Cajal’ for supporting her research and also thanks the progamme ‘Jose Castillejo’ for supporting her participation in this chapter during her stay at IPIMAR Lisbon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cátedra UNESCO UNIT/WIN/WiCoP, Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Campus Río San Pedro s/n, Puerto Real, 11510, Cádiz, Spain

    Tomás-Ángel DelValls Casillas, Diana Fernández de la Reguera Tayá, Maria Inmaculada Riba López & Jesus María Forja Pajares

  2. Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, CSIC, Campus Río San Pedro s/n, Puerto Real, 11510, Cádiz, Spain

    Maria Inmaculada Riba López

Authors
  1. Tomás-Ángel DelValls Casillas
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  2. Diana Fernández de la Reguera Tayá
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  3. Maria Inmaculada Riba López
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  4. Jesus María Forja Pajares
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tomás-Ángel DelValls Casillas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Global Change, Energy, Environment and B, R & D Unit (CIAGEB), Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Praca 9 de Abril 349, Porto, 4949-004, Portugal

    Pedro Duarte

  2. Campus de Tafira, Department of Chemistry, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, 35017 Gran, Spain

    J. Magdalena Santana-Casiano

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Casillas, TÁ.D., Tayá, D.F.d.R., López, M.I.R., Pajares, J.M.F. (2011). The Use of Weight of Evidence for Environmental Quality Assessment in Sediments Above Sub-Seabed Geological Formations for the Storage of Carbon Dioxide. In: Duarte, P., Santana-Casiano, J. (eds) Oceans and the Atmospheric Carbon Content. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9821-4_8

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