Barometric pumping
Schematic diagram showing how barometric pumping creates a ratcheting mechanism that brings gas from underground to the surface.
Copyright © John P. Ortiz 2018.
Weather systems have associated changes in atmospheric pressure. Storm systems bring low pressure and blue skies bring high pressure. These changes in pressure are also imposed on the soils and rocks beneath our feet. If the soils and rocks have sufficient open pore space or well‐connected fractures, atmospheric pressure changes can drive air into or pull air out of these geologic materials. This phenomenon is known as barometric pumping. Barometric pumping can accelerate the migration of natural or man‐made gases.
Barometric pumping in fractured rock is relevant in a variety of applications.
Highlighted Works
Avendaño, S. T., Harp, D. R., Kurwadkar, S., Ortiz, J. P., & Stauffer, P. H. (2021). Continental‐Scale Geographic Trends in Barometric‐Pumping Efficiency Potential: A North American Case Study. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(17), e2021GL093875.
Harp, D. R., Ortiz, J. P., Pandey, S., Karra, S., Anderson, D., Bradley, C., Viswanathan, H., & Stauffer, P. H. (2018). Immobile pore-water storage enhancement and retardation of gas transport in fractured rock. Transport in Porous Media, 124(2), 369-394.