Kinetic control on the distribution of secondary precipitates during CO2-basalt interactions

Abstract

A combined experimental and numerical study was undertaken to better understand the spatial distribution of secondary mineral growth along a basalt column. The work demonstrated that few and large crystals formed at random locations. This can only be explained in terms of an overall control by mineral nucleation. The main implication is that a new probabilistic approach must be developed in order to get the overall kinetics and the distribution of crystal growth in the numerical models right.