SDR Deposit of the Week: Rocks and sustainable energy

Graphical Abstract describing this research
July 2, 2019
by Amy E. Hodge

When you think about rocks, you might not think about energy, but Christopher Zahasky does. Chris has been looking at vesicular basaltic volcanic rocks, like the one shown below, and the way fluid flows through them (see the graphical abstract for his recent article above). "These volcanic rocks are an important source of geothermal energy and provide a potential location for large-scale subsurface carbon dioxide storage for greenhouse gas emissions mitigation," Chris told us. "Understanding fluid flow is important for more effectively using these types of geologic systems for sustainable energy resource development."