Workflow
Suitability Workflow
View this StoryMap to learn more about the workflow.
What is the Workflow?
The suitability workflow is a step-by-step process used to identify the best places in Illinois to store CO₂ safely underground.
It can be difficult to conceptualize suitability based on maps showing raw data. To address this, we use measures such as distance (e.g., miles from a fault) and density (e.g., population per square mile) to define suitability criteria for each play element based on research, regulations, or best practices.
The suitability mapping workflow is a step-by-step process to combine raw data layers with suitability criteria to create suitability maps. The process integrates datasets into a centralized geodatabase and organizes them into play elements. These play elements are grouped into three main categories: subsurface, surface, and societal.
Break Down the Workflow
- Define Play Elements
- Collect Data
- Construct Geodatabase
- Define Suitability Criteria
- Conduct Suitability Mapping
- Generate CRS Maps
- Create Composite Play Maps
Why It Matters
- Provides a robust, transparent, and scalable approach for evaluating and communicating geologic carbon storage potential in Illinois.
- Explicitly accounts for basin-scale stratigraphic variability, legacy subsurface use, and surface and societal constraints.
- Supports transparent, data-driven decisions for all stakeholders about where carbon storage projects may develop.