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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: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 2431

Editors

Dr. Tingting Luo

E-Mail Website
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
Dr. Tao Han

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
Dr. Yiming Zhu

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

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2629 KB  
Article
Research on the Spatiotemporal Evolution Patterns and Predictive Models of Surface Displacement Induced by Buried Ground Fissure Activity
by Yuru Guo, Fei Qiang, Shaoyi Zhang, Yong Li and Quanzhong Lu
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(14), 7235; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16147235 - 20 Jul 2026
Viewed by 191
Abstract
Differential surface settlement is a critical trigger for engineering disasters, with buried ground fissure activity serving as one of the core factors driving such subsidence. In this study, four groups of physical model tests were conducted. High-precision laser displacement meters were used to [...] Read more.
Differential surface settlement is a critical trigger for engineering disasters, with buried ground fissure activity serving as one of the core factors driving such subsidence. In this study, four groups of physical model tests were conducted. High-precision laser displacement meters were used to monitor real-time settlement at varying distances from the ground fissure. Based on this, the surface displacement evolution patterns of both loess layer structures and interbedded sand–soil structures under slow (0.01 m/h) and rapid (2 m/h) ground fissure activities were summarized. To evaluate the predictive performance of different models for time- and space-dependent nonlinear displacement evolution, five methods, namely polynomial regression, support vector regression (SVR), multilayer perceptron (MLP), random forest (RF), and gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), were constructed and compared using the experimental displacement dataset. The physical model test results indicate that the interbedded sand–soil structure tends to suppress localized crack propagation while expanding the affected zone range, whereas the loess layer is prone to near-field deformation localization. The activity rate exerts a pronounced influence on fracture propagation within the loess layer, while its influence on the deformation of the interbedded sand–soil structure is relatively limited under the present test conditions. The model comparison results show that a cubic polynomial can effectively describe the displacement evolution pattern under slow and homogeneous conditions. MLP exhibited the most stable performance among the four machine learning algorithms, while SVR, GBDT, and RF provided complementary information for interpreting continuous displacement evolution and local nonlinear displacement variations. Overall, under the present physical model test conditions, the machine learning models provide a useful data-driven basis for quantitatively characterizing displacement evolution trends and interpreting the development of ground fissure-affected zones. Based on the experimental results—scaled up by a similarity ratio of 20:1 and incorporated with a safety factor of 1.1~1.3—the preliminary reference engineering avoidance distance in the ground fissure-affected zone is 20~24 m for the hanging wall and 14~16 m for the footwall, which are broadly consistent with the current codes and regulations. The findings provide controlled experimental evidence and a quantitative reference for ground fissure hazard assessment and engineering protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deformation and Failure of Geomaterials in Deep Underground or Subsea Environments)
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20 pages, 27157 KB  
Article
Integrated Physical and Numerical Simulation of Normal Buried Ground Fissures in Sand–Clay Interlayers: A Case in Longyao, China
by Quanzhong Lu, Xinyu Mao, Feilong Chen, Cong Li, Xiao Chen, Weiguang Yang, Yuefei Wang and Jianbing Peng
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16020591 - 6 Jan 2026
Viewed by 591
Abstract
Ground fissures are widespread around the world and are particularly severe in the North China Plain. In order to investigate the crack propagation path and propagation mode of buried ground fissures from deep strata to the surface, physical simulation experiments and numerical simulation [...] Read more.
Ground fissures are widespread around the world and are particularly severe in the North China Plain. In order to investigate the crack propagation path and propagation mode of buried ground fissures from deep strata to the surface, physical simulation experiments and numerical simulation experiments were conducted based on the sand–clay interlayer strata in the Longyao area. The results show that during the settlement of the hanging wall strata, the propagation path of the cracks changes due to differences in soil properties. The crack propagation is interrupted in the sand layer and slowed down in the clay layer. The surface displacement is characterized by an alternating sequence of gradual and rapid growth phases. The process of crack propagation from depth to surface is divided into five stages, forming tensile cracks and causing the differential settlement of the surface. The strata are mainly under tensile stress, with the stress range of the hanging wall being 2.1 to 3.0 times that of the footwall. Under identical experimental conditions, buried ground fissures in the strata of sand–clay interlayers exhibit anti-dip crack propagation angles and surface deformation zone widths that are between those of homogeneous silty clay and sand. Based on the experimental results, an analytical formula for the hanging wall deformation zone was further proposed. The research results can provide an important reference and theoretical basis for the investigation and disaster prevention of buried ground fissures in the Longyao area of Hebei Province. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deformation and Failure of Geomaterials in Deep Underground or Subsea Environments)
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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 1132
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
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deformation and Failure of Geomaterials in Deep Underground or Subsea Environments)
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