This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jul/31/cosmic-rays-carbon-capture-terrawatch

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
How cosmic rays can tell us if carbon capture really works How cosmic rays can tell us if carbon capture really works
(25 days later)
Capturing carbon dioxide and storing it underground is likely to be necessary if we are to keep a lid on global warming in the short to medium-term. But it is still early days for this technique, and there are a number of issues to be resolved. Two of the biggest hurdles are making sure that the carbon dioxide finds its way into the intended rock formation and, once in place, it stays put and doesn’t leak out.Capturing carbon dioxide and storing it underground is likely to be necessary if we are to keep a lid on global warming in the short to medium-term. But it is still early days for this technique, and there are a number of issues to be resolved. Two of the biggest hurdles are making sure that the carbon dioxide finds its way into the intended rock formation and, once in place, it stays put and doesn’t leak out.
Related: Massive carbon capture investment 'needed to slow global warming'
Traditionally, geologists use seismic surveys to visualise what is happening underground, but these are expensive to do and only give an instantaneous snapshot of the underlying rock formations. So how else can we keep tabs on the carbon dioxide we bung underground? Scientists working at the Boulby Underground Laboratory – a unique lab situated 1,100m beneath the surface, in the tunnels of a working potash, polyhalite and salt mine on the north-east coast of England – are hoping they might have the solution.Traditionally, geologists use seismic surveys to visualise what is happening underground, but these are expensive to do and only give an instantaneous snapshot of the underlying rock formations. So how else can we keep tabs on the carbon dioxide we bung underground? Scientists working at the Boulby Underground Laboratory – a unique lab situated 1,100m beneath the surface, in the tunnels of a working potash, polyhalite and salt mine on the north-east coast of England – are hoping they might have the solution.
Right now they are experimenting with a string of particle detectors, which look out for cosmic rays, the high energy particles that bombard our planet every day. “The 1,100m of rock absorb many of the cosmic rays, and by analysing the few rays that do get through we can build up a picture of the rocks above the detectors,” explains Sean Paling, head of the Science and Technology Facility Council funded lab. The thinking is that carbon capture and storage sites could have particle detectors positioned underneath them, which could be used to create a continuous image of the rocks above, monitoring the arrival of the carbon dioxide and any movement thereafter.Right now they are experimenting with a string of particle detectors, which look out for cosmic rays, the high energy particles that bombard our planet every day. “The 1,100m of rock absorb many of the cosmic rays, and by analysing the few rays that do get through we can build up a picture of the rocks above the detectors,” explains Sean Paling, head of the Science and Technology Facility Council funded lab. The thinking is that carbon capture and storage sites could have particle detectors positioned underneath them, which could be used to create a continuous image of the rocks above, monitoring the arrival of the carbon dioxide and any movement thereafter.