Geological storage of captured carbon dioxide as a large-scale carbon mitigation option

Carbon capture and storage (CCS), involves capture of CO₂ emissions from power plants and other large stationary sources and subsequent injection of the captured CO₂ into deep geological formations. This is the only technology currently available that allows continued use of fossil fuels while simultaneously reducing emissions of CO₂ to the atmosphere. Although the subsurface injection and subsequent migration of large amounts of CO₂ involve a number of challenges, many decades of research in the earth sciences, focused on fluid movement in porous rocks, provides a strong foundation on which to analyze the system. These analyses indicate that environmental risks associated with large CO₂ injections appear to be manageable.