Integration of near-surface monitoring information using ArcGIS at the Illinois Basin - Decatur Project, USA

The Illinois Basin - Decatur Project (IBDP) is a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration injecting 1 million metric tons (1.1 million tons) of carbon dioxide into a deep saline reservoir over a period of 3 years. Near-surface site characterization and monitoring was initiated in 2008, and it includes multiple data streams that need to be periodically compiled, organized, and assessed throughout all phases of the project. A database of over 150 spatial data layers from external sources and project partners was compiled for the project using Esri's ArcGIS software. The database is used to integrate IBDP near-surface monitoring measurements into an accessible and flexible spatially-referenced framework. The geographic information systems (GIS) map database enables a wide range of information visualization and exploration. Although some limitations do exist (e.g., data management overhead, a selectively-optimized environment for temporal data representation), the IBDP GIS-based data management solution works well for map-based information visualization, as well as spatial data exploration and analysis. In particular, the automation of routine spatial analytical tasks has resulted in significant time savings when applied to mapping and analysis of near-surface field monitoring data (e.g., soil fluxes) and is an example of how a GIS framework can be applied to other data streams at IBDP and other CCS projects.