UMd
UMd
Geology
Geophysics
Zhu's
CV |
Our primary
research interest is to understand
fluid transport processes in the Earth’s crust and mantle,
and their geological
implications. A better understanding of permeability-porosity
relationship provides critical constraints in studying the effect of
pore
fluid, including water, CO2,
and melt, on the mechanical and geochemical
properties
of various tectonic regions.
Using
experimental, microstructural and theoretical approaches, we study the
relationship between permeability and pore structure in a wide range of
geomaterials, including sedimentary rocks with applications to
convergent
margins, where tsunami generating earthquakes occur; partially molten
rocks
beneath mid-ocean ridges, where oceanic plates diverge and new crust is made; and deep sea hydrothermal
vent deposits where unusual
chemosynthetic microbial communities thrives.
We are currently looking for both
undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in
rock physics. Research topics are suitable for students
with a strong background in geophysics, or students in physics, math,
and
engineering who are interested in geology. This research experience
will also also lead to skills and knowledge that
are of great interests to energy resource related industry. For more
details,
please contact
Dr.
Wenlu Zhu.
In the
University of
Maryland's Laboratory for Rock Physics, we conduct
deformation tests to investigate how brittle faulting and ductile flow
affect transport properties, such as permeability and
porosity.
Microstructure
analysis of rocks deformed in the lab provides critical
links to apply experimental results to natural processes. We use laser
confocal scanning microscopy to illuminate 3D fracture network in
porous sandstones.
Melt generation and migration in
the mantle----Partial melt is generated at individual mineral grain
boundaries
on the millimeter scale, migrates through porous solid
mantle, likely in an interconnected network of dissolution channels at
scales of tens of meters, builds mid ocean ridges on scales of
hundreds of kilometers. Our research
focus on 3D visualization of melt distribution using X-ray
synchrotron microtomography.
Deep-sea
hydrothermal vent deposits from the Mothra Hydrothermal
vent field on the Endeavor Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge (right) . Permeability and porosity of
the core samples are measured using a helium porosimeter and a nitrogen
permeameter (above).
Current Topics of Research:
Elastic and
transport properties of porous sedimentary rocks, including drillcores
from Nankai accretionary prism
(NantroSEIZE drilling Program), San Andreas
Fault
(SAFOD drilling program), Chelungpu Fault, Taiwan
(TCDP).
Using X-ray
synchrotron microtomography to characterize
the 3-D melt distribution in experimentally produced partially molten
polycrystalline aggregates and natural rocks.
Permeability/porosity
measurements and
micro-structural analyses on a full range of vent structure types, with
samples
recovered from many different active seafloor vent sites. |
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