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Facility

Computational and Applied Geophysical and Geomechanics Laboratory

Foundational geophysical and geomechanics science and technology

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PNNL Earth Scientist, Jeff Burghardt, making subcritical fracture velocity measurements in the Computational and Applied Geophysical and Geomechanics Laboratory.

(Image by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

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Created in PNNL's Computational and Applied Geophysical and Geomechanics Laboratory, a browser-based visualization tool enables the three-dimensional exploration of enhanced geothermal systems data from the Department of Energy in an interactive and accessible way. (Visualization by Martin Pratt | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL’s) computational and applied geophysical and geomechanics capabilities transcend across missions in fundamental science, sustainable energy, environmental stewardship, and national security. A wide-range of sponsors, from the Department of Energy to the Department of Defense and other federal and private entities, rely on PNNL researchers for modeling subsurface fluid dynamics, predicting the stability of perforation tunnels, designing and monitoring simulation tests, monitoring fluid removal or injects and associated impacts, and more.

PNNL researchers apply their strengths in making and interpreting measurements of Earth’s physical properties to determine subsurface conditions, as well as proficiencies in numerical computations to generate and analyze models of complex geophysical systems. As a result, PNNL is strategically positioned to analyze the response and instability of multi-phase materials numerically and mechanically, for materials including soils, rock, composites or living tissues. In turn, these capabilities underlie PNNL’s high-precision remote and autonomous sensing for interrogating, understanding, predicting, and controlling complex subsurface environmental systems.

Capabilities and Applications

High-performance computing inversion processing represents one capability among many powered by the Computational and Applied Geophysical and Geomechanics Laboratory. This processing enables autonomous, real-time understanding of both natural and extreme subsurface environments. The Computational and Applied Geophysical and Geomechanics Laboratory provides the equipment and space needed by PNNL researchers to perform work that is highly collaborative and multidisciplinary, supporting domain expertise in:

Capabilities
Applications
  • Electrical resistivity tomography
  • Spectral induced polarization
  • Seismic subsurface technologies
  • Electromagnetic subsurface techniques
  • Ground penetrating radar
  • Massively parallel modeling and inversion of geophysical data
  • Coupled multi-phase reactive flow/heat transport/geomechanical simulation
  • Subsurface data integration/joint inversion
  • Induced seismicity
  • Subsurface stress measurement
  • Hydraulic fracturing/stimulation
  • Subcritical fracture growth measurement
  • Subsurface deformation/stress change monitoring
  • Real-time monitoring of environmental, hydrologic and engineering processes
  • Environmental remediation monitoring

    Impact

    PNNL’s foundational geophysical and geomechanics science and technology plays a critical role in technically underpinning decision-making processes that address sponsors’ challenges and needs resulting in significant positive mission impacts.

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    PNNL computational and applied geophysical and geomechanics capabilities also enable three-dimensional tomography characterization like this example showing cooling water discharge pipes at an operating power plant. (Visualization by Tim C. Johnson | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

    Contacts

    Dawn Wellman
    Director, Earth Systems Science Division; Advisor, RemPlex
    Dawn.Wellman@pnnl.gov
    509-375-2017
    David Peeler
    Deputy Sector Manager, Environmental Management
    david.peeler@pnnl.gov
    509-372-6225

    Research topics

    Sustainable Energy
    Environmental Management
    Environmental Remediation
    Fossil Energy
    Carbon Storage
    Subsurface Energy Systems
    Renewable Energy
    Geothermal Energy
    National Security
    Climate Security
    Scientific Discovery
    Earth & Coastal Sciences
    Subsurface Science

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