Thu 02 Oct 11:30: Fracture Network Connectivity and Its Evolution
Fractures are ubiquitous in crustal rocks due to the harsh environment of the deep subsurface and the inherent brittleness of the rock. These fractures, which represent planes of rock failure, significantly influence rock stability and are pivotal in predicting geohazards. Additionally, fractures typically provide highly permeable pathways for fluid flow in the subsurface, making them crucial for oil and gas exploration and production, subsurface hydrogen storage, geological CO₂ sequestration, and nuclear waste disposal.
Connectivity is a key characteristic of fracture networks, intricately linked to their mechanical and hydrological properties. In this seminar, an automated fracture interpretation technique is introduced, enabling the acquisition of large amounts of natural fracture data. Subsequently, an efficient discrete fracture network modeling software is presented, allowing the generation of complex fracture networks and the realization of advanced functionalities. Novel fracture metrics for single and multiple fracture clusters are also introduced, providing a means to quantify the connectivity of complex fracture networks and investigate potential influential factors. A DEM -LBM method is adopted to simulate the hydraulic fracturing process, demonstrating the dynamic evolution of fracture networks under significant stress disturbances. During this process, the dynamic evolution of connectivity can be characterized using the proposed novel metrics.
- Speaker: Weiwei Zhu, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Thursday 02 October 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
- Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.
Tue 30 Sep 12:00: Carbon Capture and Mineralization
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Siggi Gislason, University of Iceland
- Tuesday 30 September 2025, 12:00-13:00
- Venue: Department of Earth Sciences, Tilley Lecture Theatre.
- Series: Department of Earth Sciences Seminars (downtown); organiser: Alexandra Turchyn.
Thu 30 Oct 11:30: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Megan Davies Wykes (University of Cambridge)
- Thursday 30 October 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
- Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.
Diamond-studded mantle rock tells new tales about ancient Earth
Back in the 1970s, renowned igneous petrologist Barry Dawson was sectioning a mantle rock from southern Africa when the cutting saw jammed on something extremely hard: a diamond. It was the first time a diamond had been found in situ, locked inside a chunk of mantle rock carried up from hundreds of kilometres deep. Dawson...
Thu 16 Oct 11:30: A multilayer model for multiscale flows of thin (and not-so-thin) films
We recently proposed a model able to describe both “thin films” and “thick films” [1] both in the context of large-scale geophysical flows and down to lubrication scales . In this presentation, I will give an overview of the principal properties of this multilayer, semi-discrete approximation of the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations with a free-surface and its theoretical and practical connections with previous classical film models.
[1] Popinet, S. (2020). A vertically-Lagrangian, non-hydrostatic, multilayer model for multiscale free-surface flows, Journal of Computational Physics, 418, 109609.
- Speaker: Stephane Popinet, Sorbonne University.
- Thursday 16 October 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
- Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.
Our blog has a new home!
Our blog has a new home!
Thu 20 Nov 11:30: Decoupling Strategies in Electrochemical Water Splitting
The storage of renewably-generated energy as hydrogen via the electrolysis of water is a fundamental cornerstone of a sustainable hydrogen economy. Conventional electrolysers usually require stable power inputs in order to operate effectively and safely and so may be unsuited to harnessing renewable power, which is often intermittent and diffuse. Decoupled Electrolysis (see, for example: Nature Chem. 2013, 5, 403-409; Science, 2014, 345, 1326-1330; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 6707–6710; Joule, 2018, 2, 1390-1395; Adv. Energy Mater. 2020, 2002453; Electrochim. Acta, 2020, 331, 135255) has the potential to overcome some of the challenges surrounding electrolysis using low and/or sporadic power inputs (especially those related to gas crossover) as the decoupling of the two half reactions of water splitting allows the oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions to be performed at different times, in different places and at rates that are not linked to each other. In this talk, we shall give an overview of decoupled electrolysis using liquid redox mediators
- Speaker: Mark Symes, University of Glasgow
- Thursday 20 November 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
- Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.
Cambridge at the Goldschmidt 2025 conference
Sara Crozier, second year PhD student and isotope geochemist reports on the 2025 Goldschmidt in Prague in this blog post. The journey from Cambridge to Prague was short and relatively painless — a smooth hop across Europe, and before we knew it, we were off and running. The conference centre itself was easy to find, just...
How Iceland’s fiery mantle plume scattered ancient volcanoes across the North Atlantic
What do the rumblings of Iceland’s volcanoes have in common with the now peaceful volcanic islands off Scotland’s western coast and the spectacular basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland? About sixty million years ago, the Icelandic mantle plume—a fountain of hot rock that rises from Earth’s core-mantle...
Thu 20 Nov 11:30: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Mark Symes, University of Glasgow
- Thursday 20 November 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
- Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.
Thu 16 Oct 11:30: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Stephane Popinet, Sorbonne University
- Thursday 16 October 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
- Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.
Thu 23 Oct 11:30: Modeling and simulation of salt caverns: from lab to field scale
Underground man-made salt caverns are a proven technology for energy storage, and their usage is expected to increase in the coming years, following the current efforts towards energy transition. Upscaling salt caverns (e.g., systems of caverns) also raises concerns about safety and cavern integrity, which requires a careful lifetime assessment of their mechanical stability. In this context, this presentation examines the mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of salt rocks, as well as methods for identifying situations that could compromise cavern integrity. The importance of a multiscale approach, spanning from laboratory experiments to field-scale simulations, is also discussed. Without diving into the mathematical details, a physical intuition is provided on how to compose a constitutive model to capture the different deformation mechanisms in salt rocks. Finally, the impact of different constitutive model choices and calibrations is analyzed in the light of numerical simulations.
- Speaker: Herminio Tasinafo Honorio, Delft University of Technology
- Thursday 23 October 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.
- Series: Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF); organiser: Catherine Pearson.
Earth Sciences summer school welcomes aspiring students
On 11–15 August, the Department welcomed Year 12 students from across the country for a week-long summer school. The scheme is spearheaded by The Sutton Trust , an educational charity which aims to improve social mobility and address educational disadvantage. Students experienced studying Earth Sciences at university...
Stalagmites in Mexican caves reveal duration and severity of drought during the Maya collapse
A drought lasting 13 years and several others that each lasted over three years may have contributed to the collapse of the Classic Maya civilisation, chemical fingerprints from a stalagmite in a Mexican cave have revealed. A detailed analysis of oxygen isotopes in the stalagmite allowed a team of researchers, led by the...
Stalagmites in Mexican caves reveal duration and severity of drought during the Maya collapse
A drought lasting 13 years and several others that each lasted over three years may have contributed to the collapse of the Classic Maya civilisation, chemical fingerprints from a stalagmite in a Mexican cave have revealed.
Stalagmites in Mexican caves reveal duration and severity of drought during the Maya collapse
A drought lasting 13 years and several others that each lasted over three years may have contributed to the collapse of the Classic Maya civilisation, chemical fingerprints from a stalagmite in a Mexican cave have revealed.
Near real-time map of Cascadia’s slow earthquakes paves way for forecast testing
After decades of research, seismologists understand why earthquakes occur, but they still can't predict when they will happen. Rather than pinpointing their exact timing, scientists can only estimate the likelihood of future quakes within broad time windows. Earthquakes happen when pent-up stress on a fault is released...
Grand Canyon was a ‘Goldilocks zone’ for the evolution of early animals
A treasure trove of exceptionally preserved early animals from more than half a billion years ago has been discovered in the Grand Canyon, one of the natural world’s most iconic sites.
Grand Canyon was a ‘Goldilocks zone’ for the evolution of early animals
A treasure trove of exceptionally preserved early animals from more than half a billion years ago has been discovered in the Grand Canyon, one of the natural world’s most iconic sites.