GHASSAN SHAHIN -

I am a geomechanics researcher with a focus on investigating the mechanical behavior of Earth's materials under conditions pertinent to the shallow Earth and upper mantle. My research integrates laboratory-based geomechanics and x-ray techniques with advanced constitutive modeling and theories of material instability.

I am currently a Marie Curie EPFLeaders4Impact Postdoctoral Fellow at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Before joining EPFL, I served as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University. My credentials include a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University, a joint Erasmus Mundus master's degree in Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology from the University of Grenoble-Alpes and the School of Advanced Studies-Pavia, and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Damascus University.

There are many exceptional, intellectual and personal qualities that define you [Ghassan], but those that really make you unique are your unparalleled enthusiasm to your craft and the joy you put in everything you do - even under life circumstances that are not always the easiest on you. And in all of this, you put a touch of your characteristic quirkiness that makes every aspect of working with you never obvious and always very fun.
Giuseppe Buscarnera: Ph.D Advisor | Northwestern University Professor

Ghassan has my vote of confidence and recommendation...I’d be remiss not to commend him for his proficiency in curation of learning material that maximizes both one's understanding of the subject matter and pride in themselves for doing so. His skills and genuine care in seeing those he helps grow in their academic endeavors is noble and inspiring, and I do hope others get the chance to see the same.
Lawan Ayodeji Fredericks Alade-Fa: Northwestern University Undergraduate Student (Class 2020)

Multiscale and Multiphysics Characterization of Volcanic Rocks

Geothermal energy harvesting has gained renewed momentum in recent years following the discovery of high-temperature resources exceeding 400°C in volcanic systems. This emerging industry has highlighted our limited understanding of these types of rocks, particularly in our ability to predict their deformation behaviors under the complex thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical conditions relevant to geothermal reservoirs. This project is designed to address this critical knowledge gap. We employ advanced geomechanics testing methods and modeling frameworks to develop novel insights and predictive capabilities for volcanic rocks that support the safe and efficient exploitation of underground geothermal resources. This project aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, Sustainable Cities, and Responsible Production and Consumption. It is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation through an Ambizione Fellowship awarded to Ghassan Shahin. The project fosters collaborations between EPFL, the Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Strasbourg, leveraging expertise in geomechanics, geosciences, and volcanology.

EPFLRock4CCS: Quantifying chEmo-hydromechanical Properties and FaiLure mechanics of reservoir ROCKs for Carbon Capture and Sequestration

The geological sequestration of CO2 entails the injection of high-pressure fluids deep into subsurface porous reservoirs. Such procedures can induce significant stress and chemical disturbances, potentially leading to irreversible deformations within and surrounding the injection sites. Here, via a laboratory pilot study, mimicking injection into a reservoir on a miniature scale, we will characterize, through a multi-scale approach, the effect of pressurized water and weak acids on the deformation behavior of porous rocks. This project supports a range of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action, Sustainable Cities, and Responsible Production and Consumption. This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. The project bridges collaborations between EPFL and Ecole Normale Superieure-Paris, Ecole des Ponts, and the Johns Hopkins University bringing together expertise in geomechanics, geosciences, and geotechnology.

Micromechanics and Strain Localization in Sand in the Ductile Regime

Laboratory study providing an in-depth analysis of the micro-mechanical processes (i.e., contact sliding and grain breakage) that drive yielding and deformation mechanism of sand deformed in the ductile regime.

Quantifying the hierarchy of structural and mechanical length scales in granular systems

Based on X-ray tomography and X-ray diffraction measurements, this fundamental study investigates the transition from heterogeneous to homogenous scale revealing scale hierarchy in geometry, stress and energy dissipation

HP-TACO: A high-pressure triaxial compression apparatus for in situ x-ray measurements in geomaterials

Technical paper reporting, with demonstrations, features of a new load-frame designed by the Authors and installed at Johns Hopkins University to test geomaterials under high pressures with the aid of in-house and synchrotron x-ray tomography.

The Role of Stratigraphy and Loading History in Generating Complex Compaction Bands in Idealized Field‐Scale Settings

Numerical investigation into the origin, causes, and sequences of complex compaction band structures observed in the dessert of Utah, combining geological history, field stratigraphy, material theories, and finite element computations.

Experimental study of compaction localization in carbonate rock and constitutive modeling of mechanical anisotropy

Laboratory investigation combined with theoretical developments to explain the divergent anisotropic responses in yielding-stresses and post-yielding deformation in the highly porous rock of Maastricht Tuffeau.

Simulation of emergent compaction banding fronts caused by frictional boundaries

The role of boundary effects in promoting heterogeneous deformation fields is assessed in the context of examining the bias that boundary friction could introduce on the characterization of compaction localization in predominantly softening and hardening porous rocks.