Skip to main content

Building mountains in the laboratory

Building mountains in the laboratory

Jürgen Adam

I am a structural geologist and my research includes energy geosciences in structurally complex basins and fractured reservoirs, salt tectonics, geomechanics and physical modelling of tectonic processes in the Earth crust.

For the study of brittle rock deformation processes, e.g. fault and fracture systems from crustal- to fracture scales, I develop innovative physical modelling methods and deformation monitoring techniques for their simulation in scaled laboratory experiments in the Analogue  Tectonic Modelling Laboratories at RHUL (ATML@RHUL). These experiments simulate the tectonic evolution of sedimentary basins and fault zones, taking place over millions of years in nature, within days to weeks in the laboratory. Experiments results help to understand the complex non-linear brittle deformation processes of natural rocks and provide input for subsurface exploration of conventional and renewable geoenergy resources and subsurface storage of energy and CO2.

Time-series analogue experiment data of incremental (left) and total deformation (right) during shear zone formation in a contractional tectonic experiment simulating the evolution of a thrust wedge in mountain belts or at convergent subduction margins (from Adam et al., 2005).

 

References

 

Explore Royal Holloway

Get help paying for your studies at Royal Holloway through a range of scholarships and bursaries.

There are lots of exciting ways to get involved at Royal Holloway. Discover new interests and enjoy existing ones.

Heading to university is exciting. Finding the right place to live will get you off to a good start.

Whether you need support with your health or practical advice on budgeting or finding part-time work, we can help.

Discover more about our 21 departments and schools.

Find out why Royal Holloway is in the top 25% of UK universities for research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

Royal Holloway is a research intensive university and our academics collaborate across disciplines to achieve excellence.

Discover world-class research at Royal Holloway.

Discover more about who we are today, and our vision for the future.

Royal Holloway began as two pioneering colleges for the education of women in the 19th century, and their spirit lives on today.

We’ve played a role in thousands of careers, some of them particularly remarkable.

Find about our decision-making processes and the people who lead and manage Royal Holloway today.