Review of Carbon Dioxide Storage and Flow in Permafrost

A substantial number of potential underground carbon storage reservoirs exist in regions that contain permafrost (continuously frozen layers of the subsurface), such as in the Alaskan North Slope. The extent and depth of these permafrost layers are changing globally at a rapid pace on the geologic timescale, which warrants continued research and observation. In order to prepare for successful carbon sequestration projects in these regions, in this work, we investigate the outcome from the potential scenario of carbon dioxide encountering the permafrost at depth. This article reviews currently available literature pertaining to the characteristics of permafrost for carbon storage in the case of the injection of carbon dioxide into deep onshore underground reservoirs. This study compares research showing evidence of both the flow of carbon dioxide gas through permafrost and the storage of carbon dioxide gas by permafrost. The findings suggest more research is needed, and several future research areas are outlined in this work.