The subsurface is increasingly being recognised as a critical component for mitigating the climate crisis, offering substantial storage capacity for seasonal energy and permanent waste disposal. However, subsurface characterisation and prediction of its dynamic behaviour is highly complex due to its multi-scale nature, intricate pore system, and complicated subsurface environment. In this study, we present cutting-edge multi-scale and dynamic characterization techniques to overcome the existing barriers and accelerate the progress towards energy decarbonization.

Rock microstructures are characterised and quantified from meter-scale to nano-scale even angstrom-scale, using multi-scale and multi-model approaches, including X-ray computed tomography (XCT), Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM, Ga+ and Xe+ plasma FIB), Transmission electron microscopy tomography (TEM tomography) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and nano infrared spectrometers (Nano-IR). Meanwhile, dynamic imaging of the rocks has provided the opportunity to characterise the thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) coupling mechanism of rocks in the complex subsurface conditions to investigate the storage efficiency and sealing ability under realistic reservoir conditions. These include high temperature (up to 1000 °C), high pressure (up to 65 MPa), fluids (diffusion, flowing through, multi-phase flow) and complex chemistry environment (brine and injected fluids). Our advanced multi-scale and dynamic characterisation approaches provide a critical foundation for unlocking the full potential of subsurface applications in energy decarbonization and waste disposal. By leveraging cutting-edge characterisation techniques and a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic behaviours of complex subsurface environment, we can optimise energy storage efficiency and minimise environmental impacts while ensuring safe operations.

Biographical Sketch:

Lin Ma is an Assistant professor (University Presidential Fellow) in Subsurface Energy Storage. Her current research has focused on multi-scale and dynamic characterisation of subsurface rocks in low permeability rocks to seek the solutions for clean energy acquisition and storage. The research topics include carbon storage, aquifer heat storage, underground hydrogen storage, nuclear waste disposal, ground water and flow battery etc. Over the last 6 years, she has published 27 papers on multi-scale rock characterisation and dynamic behaviours in international journals, with 14 of them as the first author or corresponding author. She has secured over ￡1.3 million grants from NERC, EPSRC, Royal Society and Industrial projects as a PI and over ￡7 million grants as a co-I. She is a ‘Carbon management’ Section editor in ‘Marine and Petroleum Geology’ and an associate editor of ‘Journal or Geoenergy’.