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Reconstructing the thermal history of the Sedom Formation: A plausible test for H2 storage

Eyal I. (1)(2), Ryb U. (1), Issachar R. (2), Weinbereger R. (2)

(1) The Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

(2) Geological Survey of Israel, 32 Yesha'ayahu Leibowitz, Jerusalem 9692100, Israel

Greenhouse gas emissions from combustion of fossil fuels have been driving climate change since the industrial revolution. To achive the goal of net-zero carbon emissions and mitigate rate of global warming without disrupting the energy supply, new, reliable and renewable energy sources are required. Hydrogen gas (H2) is considered as such, as it emits only water when combusted and has three times the energy - density of natural gas. One of the challenges for large - scale H2 use, is the limited capacity for storing large quantities of H2. Liquefying H2 or condensing it to a supercritical state requires significant energy, while storing it as a gas requires enormous volumes and is complicated by the high diffusivity of H2. A potential solution for this problem is geological storage of H2 in salt caverns which are extremely impermeable and self-healing. Nevertheless, the integrity of salt caverns may be compromised by tectonic activity. Several large salt diapirs are located along the Dead Sea Transform, including Mount Sedom. This diapir is located in the southern - western part of the Dead Sea Basin and composed mostly of salt rocks of the Sedom Formation. Here we use clumped isotope thermometry in carbonate rock samples that were deposited in the Sedom Formation, to reconstruct their thermal history and estimate their burial depths. The analysis will constrain the tectonic stability of salt units within the Sedom Formation over geological timescales. Additionally, geochemical and geophysical analyses of the Sedom salt will be performed for mineralogical and chemical composition, permeability and porosity. The results will provide a preliminary plausibility test for H2 storage in the Sedom Foramtion and other salt rock units worldwide.

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