Rock Mechanics Laboratory (University of Portsmouth, UK)
The research of the Rock Mechanics Laboratory focuses on how rocks
deform, under what conditions of pressure and temperature, and how the
physics of the process generate signals such as seismicity that be used
to better understand our natural world. Earthquakes, whether small or
large, are a ubiquitous method for monitoring rock deformational
processes across a wide scale, from deep megathrust earthquakes such as
the great Tohuku earthquake of 2011 (Japan), to volcano-tectonic
earthquakes that commonly precede eruptions, to small, localised,
tremors associated with mining, fluid injection, and geothermal
activity. By understanding the physics behind these processes, the
research of the Rock Mechanics Laboratory seeks to better link seismic
and elastic wave velocity data to the pressure conditions and failure
characteristics of the rock mass. To achieve this, we use the latest
technology in high pressure rock deformation machines, equipped with
systems for controlling stress, strain, temperature and fluid flow, and
instrumented with advanced Acoustic Emission recording technology – the
laboratory analogue of a natural earthquake. The group comprises five
full time academic staff, a dedicated laboratory technician and
engineer, and three research (PhD) students. The laboratory has recently
benefitted from a major refit thanks to significant investment by the
University of Portsmouth, as well as grant funding from the European
Union (FP7). Research themes include hydraulic fracture by high pressure
fluid injection, subduction zone processes, induced seismicity in
volcano-tectonic regions, and fundamenal scattering / attenuation in
porous media.
More information can be found at:
http://www2.port.ac.uk/school-of-earth-and-environmental-sciences/research/rock-mechanics-laboratory/
