Abstract

Chemical and physical disequilibrium in the ocean, atmosphere and in the Earth’s subsurface can lead to gigantic convective flows of methane and carbon dioxide. Examples in the atmosphere and oceans include the turbulent plumes formed during the Icelandic volcanic eruption (2010), the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (2010), and the large number of methane plumes found recently in the Arctic Sea (2013). Whether in natural accumulations or during geo-storage in sub-surface saline aquifers, carbon dioxide dissolves in the water contained in the porous rock; this CO2 -rich fluid is heavy and sinks driving vigorous laminar convection. In this talk, we focus on the interaction between hydrodynamics and chemistry, including chemical reaction or dissolution/precipitation, in such flows. Using complementary theoretical, numerical and experimental approaches, we quantify the changes in the patterns of flow and concentration caused by ongoing chemical processes and mixing in the fluids.