EESA research scientist Mengsu Hu was selected as a future leader of the American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) in 2020. Watch a video of her describing her work that is part of a new series of Youtube videos recently initiated by Hu with the support of the ARMA Board of Directors to enhance the scientific visibility of ARMA Future Leaders. The ARMA Future Leader Program identifies motivated ARMA members of outstanding promise, who are relatively early in their careers and bring ideas for the continued development of ARMA.
Hu’s research focuses on numerical modeling of coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in the energy geosciences.
She develops novel numerical models and computer codes with Jonny Rutqvist and colleagues, including those based on the numerical manifold method (NMM) and the extended finite volume method (XFVM). The XFVM is a new computational method that breaks past the limitations of the conventional finite volume method in order to analyze continuum and discontinuum mechanics and coupled processes in complex fractured geosystems. The work on the XFVM represents an ongoing Early Career LDRD project led by Hu.
In the Fundamental Geosciences BES program at Berkeley Lab, Hu is leading a cross-cutting project with Carl Steefel to understand fundamental mechanical-chemical processes associated with carbonate compaction, pressure solution, fracture alteration, and clay swelling.
She is also leading research activities for the nuclear waste program to analyze multi-scale, long-term thermal-hydrological-mechanical (THM) processes in argillite (clay-bearing), crystalline, and salt rocks.
Hu is also interested in making flexible use of machine learning for energy geosciences applications. She has applied machine learning to assist in numerical modeling, including image recognition, mesh generation, and optimization.