Well-connected basalt sequences as potential reservoirs for large-scale carbon sequestration revealed by strontium isotopes
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Permanent storage of gigatons of carbon in basalt requires thick, uncompartmentalized sequences that allow lateral dissipation of CO2 away from injection sites. Here we assess the presence of flow barriers by evaluating the variations in 87Sr/86Sr patterns in pore water, a method used extensively in sedimentary successions. Present-day pore water 87Sr/86Sr was measured from residual salts in core samples, while past water compositions were reconstructed from carbonate cements of different ages. We reveal smooth and uninterrupted trends in strontium isotopes through a 100 m thick basalt section indicating a common fluid reservoir unaffected by low-permeability massive lava flow interiors. The data further indicate that unconsolidated overburden sediments act as a good seal preventing seawater to mix with in situ pore water, and buoyant supercritical CO2 to leak. Finally, basaltic sequences form viable targets for CO2 storage and suggests that fractures may bypass low-permeability units to create a well-connected reservoir system.
Date Issued
2026-01-09
Date Acceptance
2025-11-11
Citation
Communications Earth & Environment, 2026, 7
ISSN
2662-4435
Publisher
Nature Portfolio
Journal / Book Title
Communications Earth & Environment
Volume
7
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2025 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
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Publication Status
Published
Article Number
33
Date Publish Online
2026-01-09