Geomechanics & Geophysics for Energy and the Environment
Duke’s Geomechanics and Geophysics for Energy and the Environment research group bridges the gap between geology and geophysics. It seeks to understand and address issues related to underground engineering, the exploration of oil, gas, methane hydrates, and more—as well as resource use and environmental hazards.
Hazards we address include earthquakes, sinkholes, desiccation soil cracking, material degradation, geostructure degradation, landslides and mudslides. We use geomechanics principles to assess wellbore stability, reservoir properties, nuclear waste geological disposal, landslide stability and hydraulic stimulations, including hydraulic fracking.
Research Areas
- Chemo-mechanical couplings in geomaterials
- Thermo-plasticity of soils and rocks
- Long-term multi-physics aspects of resilience of geo-structures
- Multi-physics of geological nuclear waste isolation
- Evaporation, drying and cracking of geomaterials
- Multi-physics aspects for friction laws
- Stability and bifurcation of multiphysical systems
- Computational geomechanics
- Non-invasive geophysical characterization of earth subsurface for engineering, energy and environmental applications
- Subsurface contamination and related health issues
- Stability of earth subsurface based on percolation theory
- Multiscale analysis of porous materials
- Stochastic modeling of heterogeneous materials
- Uncertainty quantification for complex systems
Related Study Opportunities
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- Offer a study track in Geomechanics and Geophysics for Energy and the Environment study track
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- Offers a concentration in Geo-Systems
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- Major in Civil Engineering to have an authentic research experience in geomechanics and geophysics
Associated Faculty
Fred Boadu, Ph.D.
CEE Director of Master’s Studies, Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Laura Dalton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Henri P Gavin
W.H. Gardner Jr. Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor in the Department of CEE
Johann Guilleminot, Ph.D.
Paul Ruffin Scarborough Associate Professor of Engineering
Tomasz Hueckel
Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Guglielmo Scovazzi, Ph.D.
Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Manolis Veveakis
Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Other Research Specialties
Explore additional specialty research areas in Duke CEE and throughout the Pratt School of Engineering.