Education & Biography

2024-present: PhD student – GeoEnergy, Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, UK.

2022-2023: MSc in Geomechanics, Civil Engineering and Risks – University of Grenoble Alpes, France.

2021-2023: MSc in Civil and Environmental Engineering – University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Italy.

2020-2021: Supervisor in bridge construction Site – Lihiket Design & Supervision Corporation (LDSC), Gonder, Ethiopia.

2017-2020: MSc in Geotechnical Engineering – Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.

2015-2020: Bridge Design Engineer – Lihiket Design & Supervision Corporation (LDSC), Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

2013-2015: Site Engineer in Gravel Road Construction – Amhara Rural Roads Construction Agency, Gonder, Ethiopia.

2008-2013: BSc in Civil Engineering – Adama Science and Technology University, Ethiopia.

Research Interests

• Experimental investigations as well as theoretical and numerical modelling of the behaviour of geomaterials.
• The analysis of coupled thermos-hydro-mechanical phenomena in geomaterials and energy structures.
• Applications of machine learning in earth science.

PhD Project

Title: Effective Management of Induced Seismicity for the Net Zero Energy Transition

Progress towards a net zero carbon economy involves subsurface activities such as geothermal energy production and geological storage of carbon dioxide (long-term) and hydrogen (seasonal). These activities involve injection and extraction of fluids, which actively disturb tectonic stresses in the earth’s crust. Subsurface ruptures, and associated seismicity, induced by such stress perturbations carry a risk of damage from ground motion, of fluid leakage to the surface due to increased flow pathways, and of potential loss of public confidence. Safe operation of these requires effective management to minimise induced seismicity.

Currently, induced seismicity is managed using a ‘traffic light’ system based on the maximum magnitude of recorded seismic events. In a traffic light system, operations may continue as planned (green), be modified (amber), or suspended (red) depending on the pre-set magnitude threshold. However, such system can be unreliable, with magnitudes continuing to increase even after cessation of operations due to reactive controls being evoked too late in the process, with potentially catastrophic economic and societal effects. However, recent studies have shown that maximum magnitudes can be limited if you vary the injection protocol continuously instead of waiting for the thresholds when it may be too late.

In this project rock deformation and fluid injection experiments will be conducted to understand how micro-seismicity and rock microstructure evolve during deformation, and during fault reactivation under fluid injection. A hypothesis will be tested that fault reactivation due to fluid injection can be controlled effectively by limiting the fluid injection rate continuously to maintain a constant micro-seismic event rate.

Email: bhw3000@hw.ac.uk