Numerical simulation of dispersion of volcanic CO2 seeped from seafloor by using multi-scale ocean model

Numerical simulations were conducted to predict the change of CO₂ concentration in the ocean caused by volcanic CO₂ seeped from the seafloor in Wakamiko Caldera in Kagoshima Bay. The behavior of CO₂ bubbles, their dissolution, and the advection-diffusion of dissolved CO₂ in the water column were numerically simulated. A multi-scale ocean model, in which hydrostatic meso-scale and non-hydrostatic small-scale models are combined, was used for this purpose. The calculated distribution of CO₂ concentration was in good agreement with observed data and the validity of the present multi-scale ocean model was confirmed.