U.S.-France Cooperative Research: Mechanical and Transport Properties of Rock

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9815570WongThis three-year award will support US-France collaborative research in earth science between Teng-fong Wong of the State University of New York at Stony Brook and Yves Gueguen of the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, France. The objective of the research is to study the mechanical, chemical stress and the impact of the transport of fluid on physical properties of rocks. Fluid transport, linked to many processes in the earth's crust, exerts significant mechanical and chemical effects on processes of interest in seismotectonics, petroleum geology, aqueous geochemistry, and geotechnical engineering. The key physical parameter that governs fluid transport is permeability. The investigators will measure rock deformation and electric transport properties over a wide range of pressure conditions comparable to crustal pressure. Through new experiments, they will investigate the effects of permeability, pressure and cementation on mechanical behavior of unconsolidated and cemented granular materials. In parallel, theoretical models will be developed to interpret the physical properties of rocks. The US investigator brings to this collaboration expertise in experimentation and measurements related to physical properties of rocks. This is complemented by French expertise in theory and in experimental techniques geared for electrical measurements. The collaboration will advance fundamental understanding of the constraints on crustal processes.