The study of coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) processes in rocks is central to understanding and optimizing subsurface energy and storage technologies. As the global energy landscape shifts towards sustainable solutions, applications such as geological storage of CO₂ and hydrogen, enhanced geothermal systems, and nuclear waste repositories are expanding rapidly. These technologies all operate within the complex geologic environment of the Earth’s subsurface, where temperature variations, fluid flow, stress changes, and reactive chemical environments interact. Although significant advances have been made in each individual process, it has become increasingly clear that isolating thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, or chemical effects leads to incomplete descriptions that cannot capture the system’s inherent complexity. Recent experimental and modeling studies highlight the profound influence of coupled THMC interactions on fluid flow, rock deformation, fracture evolution, and long-term geochemical stability. However, despite advances in laboratory techniques, computational methods, and monitoring capabilities, there remain significant knowledge gaps in predicting long-term performance, scaling laboratory results to field contexts, and managing uncertainty across disciplines and applications.
This Research Topic aims to develop a holistic and interdisciplinary framework for understanding the behavior and prediction of coupled THMC processes in rocks, particularly as they pertain to subsurface energy and storage systems. By bringing together researchers from rock mechanics, geochemistry, numerical modeling, and field engineering, the goal is to answer critical questions regarding the mechanisms driving coupled interactions, the reliability of predictive models across scales, and the means for effective monitoring and risk assessment in both engineered and natural settings. Specific objectives include integrating new experimental evidence with advanced modeling techniques, testing hypotheses on the feedbacks between physical and chemical transformations, and sharing field-based insights that validate or challenge laboratory findings. Ultimately, this Research Topic seeks to bridge existing divides in the literature and guide future research towards safer, more efficient, and more sustainable use of the subsurface.
The scope of this Research Topic encompasses experimental, modeling, and field-based investigations of coupled THMC processes in rocks, with relevance to energy storage, geothermal systems, CO₂ and H₂ sequestration, and nuclear waste management. Submissions should focus on advancing the understanding of interactions at multiple scales, but exclude purely theoretical studies without application to subsurface systems or studies limited to a single uncoupled process. To gather further insights into the fundamental and applied aspects of THMC coupling, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
o Experimental studies of THMC behavior under simulated in-situ conditions
o Microstructural and mineralogical evolution driven by coupled processes
o Novel laboratory and monitoring approaches for capturing multi-physics interactions
o Development and validation of constitutive and numerical models for THMC coupling
o Uncertainty quantification, scaling effects, and model sensitivity analyses
o Application-focused research on CO₂ storage, H₂ storage, geothermal systems, nuclear waste disposal, and unconventional resources
o Geophysical and remote sensing methods for detecting THMC-induced changes
o Interdisciplinary synthesis and future research priorities in subsurface engineering
Appendix: We welcome original research, reviews, methods, data reports, perspectives, and case studies.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
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Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
