Modeling underwater plumes of gas released from seafloor soil: A comparison of different gases

Underwater gas release incidents may be induced by subsea gas pipeline leak or blowout. Besides, the emergence of new energy and carbon sequestration bring the possibility of subsea release of CO2 and H2. The behavior of underwater gas plume is influenced by the distinct physical and chemical properties of the released gases. To support risk assessment and emergency planning of underwater gas release, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model incorporating soil porous media and gas dissolution was developed to investigate the underwater plumes resulting from the release of different gases. This model enables the prediction of underwater migration of gases released from seafloor soil, and the surfacing behavior. The impact of gas dissolution is considered and some critical parameters, e.g., rising time, surfacing zone and fountain height are discussed. The outcomes can help to support the safety-related decision-making in case of underwater gas release incidents.