--> Abstract: A National Look at Carbon Capture and Storage - National Carbon Sequestration Database and Geographical Information System (NatCarb), by Timothy R. Carr; #90084 (2008)

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A National Look at Carbon Capture and Storage - National Carbon Sequestration Database and Geographical Information System (NatCarb)

Timothy R. Carr
Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA

The DOE’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs) generated data for the layers displayed in the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada. These key geospatial data (carbon sources, potential storage sites, transportation, land use, etc.) are required for efficient implementation of carbon sequestration on a broad scale. NatCarb is an online relational database and geographic information system (GIS) that integrates carbon storage data from the RCSPs and various other sources. The digital spatial database allows users to estimate the amount of CO2 emitted by sources (such as power plants and other fossil-fuel-consuming industries) in relation to geologic units that can provide secure sequestration sites.

NatCarb organizes and enhances the information about CO2 sources and develops the technology to access, query, analyze, display, and distribute natural resource data. Data are maintained at the RCSP level, or at specialized data warehouses, and assembled through a single geoportal. NatCarb is a functional demonstration of distributed data-management systems that cross the boundaries between institutions and geographic areas. It forms the first step toward a functioning national carbon cyber-infrastructure. NatCarb provides access to the necessary information regarding the costs, economic potential, and societal issues of CO2 capture and storage, including public perception and regulatory aspects.

NatCarb is connected to all the RCSPs and to public servers including the U.S. Geological Survey-EROS Data Center and from the Geography Network. Data for major CO2 sources are obtained from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) databases, and energy data were obtained from the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Presented AAPG Eastern Section Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 2008 © AAPG Eastern Section