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Deformation and Failure of Geomaterials in Deep Underground or Subsea Environments

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 489

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: soil mechanics; numerical simulations; underground engineering; natural gas hydrate; CO2 storage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: soil mechanics; numerical simulations; underground engineering; shaft lining; artificial freezing method

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Interests: natural gas hydrate; mechanical properties; failure mechanism; constitutive model

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the mechanical behavior of geomaterials in extreme deep-earth or deep-sea environments, investigating their deformation and failure mechanisms under multi-physical couplings and the prevention/mitigation of engineering hazards. Submissions should cover cutting-edge applications, including energy reservoir development (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas hydrates, and geothermal systems), seabed foundation stability, and deep geological storage projects. This Special Issue aims to reveal the failure mechanisms of geotechnical media under high-pressure, high-temperature, and hydraulic–chemical–mechanical coupled conditions by using multidisciplinary approaches, providing scientific support for deep resource exploitation and major engineering safety.

Contributions leveraging theoretical, experimental, numerical, or field-based approaches are enouraged in order to unravel the complex behavior of geomaterials for sustainable deep-environment development. Topics for submission include the following:

  • Fundamental mechanical properties of geomaterials;
  • Safety and utilization of deep underground engineering;
  • Case studies of practical underground engineering;
  • Geotechnical engineering in marine development;
  • Foundation safety of offshore engineering structures;
  • Conventional and unconventional gas reservoirs;
  • Mechanical properties: macro- and micro-investigations;
  • Energy science and technology;
  • Earth sciences and geography;
  • Localized deformation mechanisms;
  • Application of artificial intelligence to micromechanics in geomechanics

Dr. Tingting Luo
Dr. Tao Han
Dr. Yiming Zhu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • underground and subsea engineering
  • geomechanical behavior
  • deformation and failure mechanisms
  • multi-physical couplings
  • constitutive model
  • energy extraction
  • subsea infrastructure stability
  • geological storage
  • engineering safety

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 6862 KB  
Article
Kinetics and Morphological Characteristics of CO2 Hydrate Formation Within Sandstone Fractures
by Chuanhe Ma, Hongxiang Si, Jiyao Wang, Tingting Luo, Tao Han, Ziyang Dong and Chaozheng Ma
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(17), 9440; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15179440 - 28 Aug 2025
Viewed by 368
Abstract
Hydrate-based CO2 sequestration is considered one of the most promising methods in the field of carbon capture, utilization, and storage. The abundant fractured environments in marine sediments provide an ideal setting for the sequestration of CO2 hydrate. Investigating the kinetics and [...] Read more.
Hydrate-based CO2 sequestration is considered one of the most promising methods in the field of carbon capture, utilization, and storage. The abundant fractured environments in marine sediments provide an ideal setting for the sequestration of CO2 hydrate. Investigating the kinetics and morphological characteristics of CO2 hydrate formation within fractures is a critical prerequisite for achieving efficient and safe CO2 sequestration using hydrate technology in subsea environments. Based on the aforementioned considerations, the kinetic experiments on the formation, dissociation, and reformation of CO2 hydrates were conducted using a high-pressure visualization experimental system in this study. The kinetic behaviors and morphological characteristics of CO2 hydrates within sandstone fractures were comprehensively investigated. Particular emphasis was placed on analyzing the effects of fracture width, type, and surface roughness on the processes of hydrate formation, dissociation, and reformation. The experimental results indicate the following: (1) At a formation pressure of 2.9 MPa, the 10 mm width fracture exhibited the shortest induction time, the longest formation duration, and the highest hydrate yield (approximately 0.52 mol) compared to the other two fracture widths. The formed CO2 hydrates exhibited a smooth, thin-walled morphology. (2) In X-type fractures, the formation of CO2 hydrates was characterized by concurrent induction and dissolution processes. Compared to I-type fractures, the hydrate formation process in X-type fractures exhibited shorter formation durations and generally lower hydrate yields. (3) An increase in fracture roughness enhances the number of nucleation sites for the formation of hydrates. In both fracture types (I-type and X-type), the induction time for CO2 hydrate formation was nearly negligible. However, a significant difference in the trend of formation duration was observed under varying roughness conditions. (4) Hydrate dissociation follows a diffusion-controlled mechanism, progressing from the fracture walls towards the interior. The maximum gas production was achieved in the 10 mm-width fracture, reaching 0.24 mol, indicating optimal heat and mass transfer conditions under this configuration. (5) During the reformation process, the induction time was significantly shortened due to the “memory effect.” However, the hydrate yield after the reformation process remained consistently lower than that of the first formation, which is primarily attributed to the high solubility of CO2 in the aqueous phase. Full article
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