Chemical redistribution is ubiquitous in the Earth’s crust and results in changes to rock structure that modify the hydraulic and mechanical properties of geosystems.
The role of alteration – including dissolution, transport, and redistribution of chemical species – in governing the behaviour of crustal geosystems is a key unsolved problem in the geosciences.
The societal and economic ramifications of changes to geosystem properties can be especially profound: permeability reduction can impede geothermal energy extraction and may contribute to fluid pressure build up that exacerbates volcanic explosivity and slope instability.
We use experimental techniques including rock deformation, rock physical property characterization, and novel rock-fluid interaction experiments, under in situ pressure and temperature conditions, to understand the structure and behaviour of geomaterials.
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