How do fluids and fractures influence crustal dynamics?

Earth's crust is fractured pervasively due to tectonic stresses. Fluids, such as water, magma, and super-critical CO₂, exploit these fractures as conduits. Interactions between these fluids and fractures can manifest as earthquakes and crustal deformations. 

As mechanicians, our research is driven by the desire to understand the dynamic coupling between fluid flow and fractures (i.e. we ask, "why do things happen?"), the phenomenology of which can be quite beautiful. As geophysicists, our research is motivated by novel seismological and geodetic observations, which often reveal subsurface dynamics at spatial and temporal scales difficult to capture in laboratories (i.e. we ask, "what happened and how?"). In this way, (seismological, geodetic) observations and (analytical, numerical) modeling are two complimentary pillars of our research. 

Beyond contributing to fundamental science, our research helps inform the engineering of Enhanced Geothermal Systems and Carbon Sequestration Operations.