Potential Environmental Impacts of CO2 Leakage from the Study of Natural Analogue Sites in Europe.

Abstract: Sites of natural CO₂ leakage provide opportunities to study the potential environmental impacts of such leakage on near-surface ecosystems. As part of the FP7 RISCS (Research into Impacts and Safety in CO₂ Storage) project a geochemical, botanical and microbiological study have been conducted on a natural CO₂ vent in Florina, Greece and the findings are compared with the results drawn from Latera, Italy and Laacher See, Germany. Plant and microbial communities appear to have adapted to long-term CO₂ exposure. Therefore the findings may not be representative of the effects of potential leakage from man made storage sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]