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Mengsu Hu

Research Scientist

Building 074A, Room 0103

M/S 74R316C

Phone: 510-486-5154

mengsuhu@lbl.gov

  • Education
  • Experience
  • Awards
  • Scholarly Service
  • Committees and Councils
  • Editorial Boards
  • DOE Service
  • Leadership Roles
  • Teaching Experiences
  • Invited Talks

Biography

I am currently a Research Scientist in the Energy Geosciences Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). I received a BEng in Civil Engineering in 2010 and a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering in 2016. My research focuses on multiscale numerical modeling and machine learning for analyzing coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes relevant to both fundamental Earth science and to subsurface engineering systems (e.g., nuclear waste disposal, hydrogen storage, and geothermal energy). I am the sole developer of a series of novel numerical approaches and computer codes based on the numerical manifold method (NMM) and the extended finite volume method (XFVM). My research interests are continuously broadening with my increased understanding of numerical modeling, machine learning, Earth and planetary science, and energy geosciences applications. I have been teaching at UC Berkeley since 2019. I am enthusiastic about teaching the younger generation to use computational toolsets to solve Earth science and engineering problems.

Research Interests

Multiscale numerical modeling and machine learning for coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes from fundamental Earth science to subsurface engineering systems, including:

  • Development of novel computational approaches and computer codes: Numerical manifold method (NMM), extended finite volume method (XFVM);
  • Fundamental Earth science: Pressure solution, carbonate compaction, clay and shale, fracture alteration and healing, and creep;
  • Nuclear waste disposal in salt, crystalline, argillite rocks
  • Hydrogen storage
  • Geothermal energy
  • Machine learning applications in geosciences
Other research interests:
  • Planetary rock mechanics

Education

  • PhD, Hohai University, 2010-2016
  • Visiting PhD student, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 2012-2014
  • BEng, China University of Mining and Technology, 2006-2010

Experience

  • Career Research Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 2021-Present
  • Career-Track Research Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 2018-2021
  • Instructor, University of California, Berkeley, 2019-Present
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 2016-2018

Awards

  • Participant, U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, National Academy of Engineering (EESA link; NAE link), 2022
  • Director's Award for Exceptional Early Scientific Career Achievement, LBNL, 2021
  • ARMA Future Leader, American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA), 2020
  • Early Career Enrichment Program, LBNL, 2019
  • No. 1 Ranked Outstanding PhD Thesis Award, Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering (CSRME), 2018
  • Spot Recognition Award, LBNL, 2018, 2016
  • The National Scholarship, the Ministry of Education, China, 2015, 2014, 2008, 2007

Scholarly Service

  • Technical Chair, 57th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (ARMA 2023, Symposium Chair: Haiying Huang), 2023
  • Lead Guest Editor, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Special Issue of CouFrac 2022: Fundamental Coupled Processes in Fractured Earth Systems (Co-editors: Xuhai Tang, Jonny Rutqvist), 2023-2024
  • Guest Editor, Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Special Issue of CouFrac 2022: Computational and Numerical Modeling in Fractured Earth Systems (Lead guest editor: Hideaki Yasuhara; Co-editor: Hyung-Mok Kim), 2023-2024
  • Guest Editor, Water Resources Research Special Issue of CouFrac 2022: Impacts on Water Resources of Coupled Hydrological, Chemical, and Mechanical Processes in the Fractured Subsurface (Lead guest editor: Carl Steefel; Co-editors: Sergi Molins, Christophe Tournassat), 2023-2024
  • Guest Editor, Rock Mechanics Bulletin Special Issue: Theoretical, Experimental and Numerical Advances for Multiscale Deformation and Failure Study in Geo-Materials (Lead guest editor: Zhijun Wu; Co-editor: Louis N.Y. Wong), 2023
  • Session Convener, Planetary Rock Mechanics, 57th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (Co-convener: Xuhai Tang), 2023
  • Session Convener, Earth Sedimentary Rocks: Science and Engineering Applications, 57th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (Co-convener: Yanhui Han), 2023
  • Co-Chair, International Conference on Coupled Processes in Fractured Geological Media: Observation, Modeling, and Application, CouFrac 2022 (Conference chair: Jonny Rutqvist; Co-chairs: Carl Steefel, Ki-Bok Min, Antonio Rinaldi, Pengzhi Pan, Hideaki Yasuhara), 2022
  • Convener, Special Session of Machine Learning for Coupled Processes in the Earth Sciences and Engineering, CouFrac 2022 (Co-organizer: Laura J. Pyrak-Nolte), 2022
  • Session Convener, Reactive transport and chemo-mechanical processes in porous media, AGU 2022 Fall Meeting (Primary convener: Vitalii Starchenko; Co-conveners: Peter K. Kang, Anne Holland Menefee), 2022
  • Reviewer, Chinese Mechanics Prize (CMP), Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (CSTAM), 2022
  • Session Organizer, 56th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (Co-organizer: Ingrid Tomac), 2022
  • Session Organizer, 55th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (Co-organizer: Jonny Rutqvist), 2021
  • Early/Mid Career Representatives, Commission on Coupled Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Processes in Fractured Rock, International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM), 2020-Present
  • Session Organizer, International Conference on coupled processes in fractured geological media: observation, modeling, and application, CouFrac 2020 (Session co-organizers: Adriana Paluszny, Pania Newell, Shaojun Li, Laura Blanco-Martín), 2020
  • Session Organizer, 54th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (Session co-organizer: Zhou Lei), 2020
  • Guest Editor, Computational Geosciences Special Issue: CouFrac 2018 (Co-editors: Carl Steefel, Jonny Rutqvist), 2019-2020
  • Reviewer, NSF CAREER proposal, 2019-Present
  • General Secretary and Member, Commission on Coupled Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Processes in Fractured Rock, International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM), 2018-2019
  • Co-Chair, International Conference on Coupled Processes in Fractured Geological Media: Observation, Modeling, and Application, CouFrac 2018 (Conference chair: Jonny Rutqvist; Co-chairs: Ki-Bok Min, Pengzhi Pan), 2018
  • Organizing Committee Member, TOUGH Symposium 2018 (Symposium chair: Curtis Oldenburg; Co-organizers: Yingqi Zhang, Matthew Reagan, Eric Sonnenthal), 2018
  • Session Co-Chair, 51st US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (Session co-organizer: Jonny Rutqvist), 2017
  • Organizing Committee, 13th International Conference on Analysis of Discontinuous Deformation (ICADD 13), 2017
  • Reviewer for peer-review journals:
    Advances in Geosciences, Advances in Water Resources, Applied Mathematical Modelling, Computers and Geotechnics, Computers & Geosciences, Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements, Environmental Geotechnics, Geofluids, Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources, Hydrogeology Journal, International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth, Journal of Hydrology, Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Scientific Reports, SoftwareX, Tunneling and Underground Space Technology, Engineering Structures, SPE Journal, Water Resources Research
  • Reviewer, 6th Biot conference on Poromechanics
  • Reviewer for books:
    “Hydraulic Fracture Modeling” (Elsevier), “Science of Carbon Storage in Deep Saline Formation: Process Coupling Across Time and Spatial Scales” (Elsevier)

Committees and Councils

  • Member, ARMA Strategic Committee on Journal Publication, American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA), 2021-2022
  • Member, Steering Committee, Early Career ERG Council, LBNL, 2021-2022
  • Member, ARMA Awards Committee, 55th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, 2021

Editorial Boards

  • Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources (GGGG), 2022-Present

DOE Service

  • Review Panel Member, DOE WIPP Additional Panels Performance Assessment Changed Conceptual Models, 2021

Leadership Roles

  • 2020-present, Activity Lead, Reactive Mechanics and Transport Modeling, ~$150K/year on average, DOE Basic Energy Science
  • 2021-present, Activity Lead, Coupling mechanics with Chumbo-Crunch, $160K/year on average, DOE Exascale Computing Project
  • 2022-present, Activity Lead, Microscale model supervised ML for predicting macroscale properties in Argillite rocks, $143K/year on average, DOE Office of Nuclear Energy
  • 2020-present, Activity Lead, Modeling of thermal-slip of crystalline rock fractures, $210K/year on average, DOE Office of Nuclear Energy
  • 2020-present, Activity Lead, Modeling of fracture development and gas migration in bentonite/clay, $200K/year on average, DOE Office of Nuclear Energy
  • 2019-2021, PI, Extended Finite Volume Method for Coupled Processes in Complex Fractured Geological Systems, $597K, Early Career Laboratory Directed Research Development (LDRD), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
  • Total funding as PI ~$3M (October 2022)

Teaching Experiences

  • Lead Instructor, University of California, Berkeley, EPS 200, Coupled Processes Modeling in the Earth Sciences (Co-Instructors: Carl Steefel, Jonny Rutqvist), 2022
  • Instructor, University of California, Berkeley, EPS 200 001 - LEC 001, Problems in Hydrogeology (Co-teaching with: Carl Steefel, Jonny Rutqvist, Curt Oldenburg), 2019

Invited Talks

  • Mengsu Hu. Unraveling the Interplay of Geometry and Coupled THMC Processes in Multiscale Earth Systems Using Novel Numerical Toolsets. UT PGE Graduate Seminar. October 31, 2022, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
  • Mengsu Hu. Fractures and Interfaces in Geosystems: Coupled Processes Modeling. Fall Geoseminar. November 5, 2021, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
  • Mengsu Hu. An Odyssey through Discontinuous Coupled Processes Modeling in the Subsurface. The 6th International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM) Early Career Forum (ECF6). October 24, 2021, Beijing, China (Recommended by ARMA, representative of North America)
  • Mengsu Hu. Integrated machine learning and numerical modeling for multiscale analyses of coupled processes in geosystems. The 11th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium-Numerical Analysis Methods and Numerical Simulations Forum. October 21-25, 2021, Beijing, China (Invited Keynote)
  • Mengsu Hu.For Safe Disposal of Nuclear Waste in Different Host Rocks: Multiscale Coupled THMC Modeling of Discontinuous Processes. The 15th International Conference on Analysis of Discontinuous Deformation (ICADD15). September 23-25, 2021, Online, Japan. (Invited Keynote)
  • Mengsu Hu. Coupled processes modeling for porous, fractured and granular systems in energy geosciences. 1st International Youth Scientists Forum for Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (IYSF-DDA). January 9, 2021, online. (Invited Keynote)
  • Mengsu Hu. Modeling coupled processes in fractured media at multiple scales. International Conference on Coupled Processes in Fractured Geological Media: Observation, Modeling, and Application (CouFrac) 2020. November 11-13, 2020, Seoul, Korea. (Invited Plenary)
  • Mengsu Hu. NMM model development for analysis of coupled hydro-mechanical processes in heterogeneous media. 51st meeting of Commission on DDA Application of Rock Engineering, Japan. December 17, 2015, Tokyo, Japan.
  • Mengsu Hu. Model development of NMM for analysis of flow in heterogeneous media with application to hydro-mechanical coupling in fractured rock masses. 5th Northeastern University Forum of Rock mechanics- Numerical Methods for Discontinuous Media. June 23, 2015, Shenyang, China
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