CO2 Leak Soil Flux and Gas Survey in Qinghai, China

Soil gas and soil flux surveys were conducted over eight days in 2014 to characterize a surface CO2 leak at a research site in Qinghai, China. The dataset includes measurements from two sampling grids and sixteen soil gas wells, used to estimate a total CO2 emission rate of 649-1015 kg per day. The data was collected by researchers and published in the International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control in 2016.

Use Cases

• Map spatial distribution of CO2 flux using data from regular and irregular sampling grids to identify high-flux zones.
• Estimate total field CO2 emission rate using cubic interpolation on soil flux survey data.
• Identify the source of leaking CO2 using soil gas component ratios (e.g., CO2, H2O) from portable multi-gas analyzer measurements.
• Analyze carbon-13 isotope data (-0.21‰ and -0.22‰ values) to infer the CO2 source as thermal decomposition of marine carbonates.
• Infer historical plume migration by analyzing surface soil mineralisation (calcite) data.

Strengths

• Data collection spanned an eight-day period in 2014, providing a focused temporal snapshot.
• Surveys utilized two distinct sampling patterns (regular and irregular grids) for spatial mapping.
• Analysis integrated multiple data types: soil flux, soil gas composition, and carbon isotope measurements.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to a single case study site, reducing generalizability.
• Sample size specifics (e.g., exact number of flux measurements) are not provided in the description.
• Data is from a 2014 survey, which may not reflect current conditions or monitoring technologies.

Provenance

Source

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, Volume 54, 2016.

Collection Method

Field surveys including soil gas sampling with a portable multi-gas analyzer and soil flux measurements.

Time Range

2014 (eight-day survey period).

Geography

Qinghai research site, west of Haidong, China.