Geochemical modeling of changes in shallow groundwater chemistry observed during the MSU-ZERT CO2 injection experiment

A field experiment involving the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into a shallow aquifer was conducted near Bozeman, Montana, during the summer of 2008, to investigate the potential groundwater quality impacts in the case of leakage of CO2 from deep geological storage. As an essential part of the Montana State University Zero Emission Research and Technology (MSU-ZERT) field program, food-grade CO2 was injected over a 30 day period into a horizontal perforated pipe a few feet below the water table of a shallow aquifer. The impact of elevated CO2 concentrations on groundwater quality was investigated by analyzing water samples taken before, during, and following CO2 injection, from observation wells located in the vicinity of the injection [...]