Resource exploration for a net-zero emission future with electromagnetic methods in applied geophysics

世界卫生组织指出，“气候变化是世纪全球健康的最大威胁”。为了应对气候危机，必须尽一切努力减少温室气体向大气层的排放。事实上，加拿大要实现其2050年净零排放目标，绿色能源和二氧化碳（CO2）储存技术的创新至关重要。我相信，通过我们自然资源的战略价值，地球物理学在这一目标中发挥着重要作用。我的研究计划的总体愿景是开发新的电磁（EM）方法，这将使地热能，关键矿物和碳捕获和储存（CCS）解决方案的气候变化问题-一个多方面的方法，帮助加拿大和世界过渡到一个净零排放的未来。 地热能源：截至2020年，加拿大没有大规模的地热发电系统。美国地质调查局最近的估计表明，美国可能有多达30 GWe的未发现的热液资源（足够大约3000万北美家庭使用的电力）和超过500 GWe的增强型地热系统（EGS）资源，但加拿大是否存在类似的潜力仍有待观察。专门为地热勘探和EGS表征开发的新EM方法将改善资源估计，并从长远来看，影响国内能源结构。 关键矿物质：加拿大长期以来一直是矿产勘探的领导者，拥有巨大的绿色能源关键矿产资源潜力。快速和具有成本效益的创新EM勘探技术将导致新的国内发现，并最终有利于加拿大经济，特别是考虑到最近敲定的加拿大-美国关键矿产合作联合行动计划。碳捕获和储存：随着加拿大正在进行的几个大规模商业和示范项目，需要监测技术，以确保二氧化碳在储存后不会泄漏或渗透到地表。独特的地下成像解决方案，包括延时EM调查，将通过对法定排放准则的合规性监测来影响能源政策。许多研究小组使用地球物理测量来证明气候变化的严重性。然而，专门侧重于利用应用物理学解决气候变化问题的研究方案却远不常见。有一个机会，以促进国内绿色能源利益使用电磁学，和我的研究计划的前5年将使用数值模型来研究一套新的EM成像方法-每一个针对上述碳中性应用之一。这一建模工作的成果将指导今后的原型实地实验，从而在加拿大和地球仪周围使用新的勘探技术。

The World Health Organization has stated that "Climate change is the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century". To address the climate crisis, every effort must be made to reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Indeed, for Canada to achieve its 2050 goal of net-zero emissions, innovations in green energy and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage technology are essential. I believe that geophysics plays an important role in this goal through the strategic value of our natural resources. The overarching vision of my research program is to develop novel electromagnetic (EM) methods which will enable geothermal energy, critical minerals and carbon capture & storage (CCS) solutions to the climate change problem - a multifaceted approach helping Canada and the world transition into a net-zero emission future. Geothermal energy: As of 2020 Canada generates no large-scale electrical power from geothermal systems. Recent US Geological Survey estimates have indicated that there may be as much as 30GWe of undiscovered hydrothermal resources (enough electricity for about 30 million North American households) and over 500GWe of enhanced geothermal system (EGS) resources in the United States, but whether similar potential exists in Canada remains to be seen. New EM methods developed specifically for geothermal exploration and EGS characterization will improve resource estimations and in the long run, impact the domestic energy mix. Critical minerals: Canada has long been a leader in mineral exploration and has a significant green energy-enabling critical mineral resource potential. Rapid and cost effective innovative EM exploration techniques will lead to new domestic discoveries and ultimately benefit the Canadian economy, particularly in light of the recently finalized Canada-U.S. Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals Collaboration. Carbon capture & storage: With several large-scale commercial and demonstration projects underway in Canada, there is a need for monitoring technologies to ensure that CO2 does not leak or seep to surface after storage. Unique subsurface imaging solutions including time-lapse EM surveys will impact energy policy by enabling compliance monitoring of legislated emissions guidelines. Many research groups have used geophysical measurements to demonstrate the severity of climate change. However, research programs specifically focused on enabling solutions to the climate change problem using applied geophysics are far less common. There is an opportunity to advance domestic green energy interests using electromagnetics, and the first 5 years of my research program will use numerical models to study a suite of novel EM imaging methods - each tailored towards one of the carbon-neutral applications described above. The outcomes of this modelling work will guide future prototype field experiments, leading to the use of new exploration technologies for net-zero resources in Canada and around the globe.