Matthew D Merrill
Matthew Merrill is a Research Geologist with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Biography
Matt received a masters and a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in Earth Sciences with focuses in Mars remote sensing and Andean volcanology respectively. Since joining the USGS in 2005 he has focused on numerous energy and minerals issues and specializes in carbon dioxide related topics, such as natural CO2 geochemistry, carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. Other areas of research include various oil and gas assessments and methodology creation for assessing enhanced oil recovery with CO2 and also the impacts to wildlife from wind turbine facilities.
Education
- M.A. Earth Science, Wesleyan University, 2005
- B.A. Earth and Environmental Science, Wesleyan University, 2003
Work Experience
- 2007 - present: Eastern Energy Resources Science Center, USGS
- 2005 - 2007: Eastern Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center, USGS
Science and Products
Assessing Emissions from Active and Abandoned Coal Mines
The gas emission zone liberates and accumulates significant amounts of coal mine methane as a by-product of active mining. In most active mines, coal mine methane is controlled by wellbores, called gob gas ventholes. Despite the presence of these wellbores, it is not possible to capture all of the methane generated within the gas emission zone. As a consequence, a large amount of gas migrates...
A probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention
The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 authorized the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of the potential volume of hydrocarbons recoverable by injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into known oil reservoirs with historical production. The implementation of CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) techniques could...
Warwick, Peter D.; Attanasi, Emil D.; Olea, Ricardo A.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Freeman, Philip A.; Brennan, Sean T.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Verma, Mahendra K.; Karacan, C. Özgen; Shelton, Jenna L.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Jahediesfanjani, Hossein; Roueché, Jacqueline N.
A Methodology to Assess the National and Regional Impacts of U.S. Wind Energy Development on Birds and Bats
This scientific investigations report describes an effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that used research, monitoring data, and modeling to develop a methodology to assess both the current and future population-level consequences of wind energy development on species of birds and bats that are present in the United States during any part...
Diffendorfer, James E.; Beston, J.A.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Stanton, J.C.; Corum, M.D.; Loss, S.R.; Thogmartin, W.E.; Johnson, D.H.; Erickson, R.A.; Heist, K.W.
Carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and residual oil zone studies at the U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is preparing a national resource assessment of the potential hydrocarbons recoverable after injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into conventional oil reservoirs in the United States. The implementation of CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) techniques can increase hydrocarbon production, and lead to incidental...
Warwick, Peter D.; Attanasi, Emil D.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Brennan, Sean T.; Buursink, Marc; Doolan, Colin A.; Freeman, Philip A.; Jahediesfanjani, Hossein; Karacan, C. Özgen; Lohr, Celeste D.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Olea, Ricardo A.; Roueché, Jacqueline N.; Shelton, Jenna L.; Slucher, Ernie; Varela, Brian A.; Verma, Mahendra K.
Carbon dioxide mineralization feasibility in the United States
Geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage is one of many methods for stabilizing the increasing concentration of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere. The injection of CO2 in deep subsurface sedimentary reservoirs is the most commonly discussed method; however, the potential for CO2 leakage can create long-term stability concerns. This report discusses the...
Blondes, Madalyn S.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Anderson, Steven T.; DeVera, Christina A.
Federal lands greenhouse emissions and sequestration in the United States—Estimates for 2005–14
In January 2016, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior tasked the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with producing a publicly available and annually updated database of estimated greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction and use (predominantly some form of combustion) of fossil fuels from Federal lands. In response, the...
Merrill, Matthew D.; Sleeter, Benjamin M.; Freeman, Philip A.; Liu, Jinxun; Warwick, Peter D.; Reed, Bradley C.
Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources—Atlantic Coastal Plain and Eastern Mesozoic Rift Basins
This chapter presents information pertinent to the geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration potential within saline aquifers located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Eastern Mesozoic Rift Basins of the Eastern United States. The Atlantic Coastal Plain is underlain by a Jurassic to Quaternary succession of sedimentary strata that onlap westward...
Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, M.D.; Craddock, William H.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Roberts-Ashby, Tina L.; Brennan, Sean T.; Buursink, Marc L.; Drake, Ronald M.; Warwick, Peter D.; Cahan, Steven M.; DeVera, Christina A.; Freeman, Philip A.; Gosai, Mayur A.; Lohr, Celeste D. A database and probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention in the United States
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an assessment methodology for estimating the potential incremental technically recoverable oil resources resulting from carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) in reservoirs with appropriate depth, pressure, and oil composition. The methodology also includes a procedure for estimating the CO2...
Warwick, Peter D.; Verma, Mahendra K.; Attanasi, Emil D.; Olea, Ricardo A.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Freeman, Philip; Brennan, Sean T.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Jahediesfanjani, Hossein; Roueche, Jacqueline; Lohr, Celeste D. A method to assess the population-level consequences of wind energy facilities on bird and bat species
For this study, a methodology was developed for assessing impacts of wind energy generation on populations of birds and bats at regional to national scales. The approach combines existing methods in applied ecology for prioritizing species in terms of their potential risk from wind energy facilities and estimating impacts of fatalities on...
Diffendorfer, James E.; Beston, Julie A.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Stanton, J.C.; Corum, M.D.; Loss, Scott R.; Thogmartin, Wayne E.; Johnson, Douglas H.; Erickson, Richard A.; Heist, Kevin W.
Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources—Southern Rocky Mountain Basins: Chapter M in Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources
The U.S. Geological Survey has completed an assessment of the potential geologic carbon dioxide storage resources in the onshore areas of the United States. To provide geological context and input data sources for the resources numbers, framework documents are being prepared for all areas that were investigated as part of the national assessment....
Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, M.D.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Drake, Ronald M.; Buursink, Marc L.; Craddock, William H.; East, Joseph A.; Slucher, Ernie R.; Warwick, Peter D.; Brennan, Sean T.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Freeman, Philip A.; Cahan, Steven M.; DeVera, Christina A.; Lohr, Celeste D.
Geologic assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Albian Clastic and Updip Albian Clastic Assessment Units, U.S. Gulf Coast Region
U.S. Geological Survey National Oil and Gas Assessments (NOGA) of Albian aged clastic reservoirs in the U.S. Gulf Coast region indicate a relatively low prospectivity for undiscovered hydrocarbon resources due to high levels of past production and exploration. Evaluation of two assessment units (AUs), (1) the Albian Clastic AU 50490125, and (2)...
Merrill, Matthew D.
GIS representation of coal-bearing areas in Antarctica
Understanding the distribution of coal-bearing geologic units in Antarctica provides information that can be used in sedimentary, geomorphological, paleontological, and climatological studies. This report is a digital compilation of information on Antarctica’s coal-bearing geologic units found in the literature. It is intended to be used in...
Merrill, Matthew D.
Preliminary methodology to assess the national and regional impact of U.S. wind energy development on birds and bats
The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a methodology to assess the impacts of wind energy development on wildlife; it is a probabilistic, quantitative assessment methodology that can communicate to decision makers and the public the magnitude of these effects on species populations. The methodology is currently applicable to birds and bats,...
Diffendorfer, James E.; Beston, Julie A.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Stanton, J.C.; Corum, M.D.; Loss, Scott R.; Thogmartin, Wayne E.; Johnson, Douglas H.; Erickson, Richard A.; Heist, Kevin W.