Understanding Multi-Scale Coupled Processes in Geological Storage of Hydrogen and CO2

Submission Deadline: Monday, 1 December 2025

The secure and efficient storage of hydrogen and CO2 in the subsurface is critical for advancing the energy transition and decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries. Complex interactions between the injected gas and the storage system — including the reservoir and the surrounding rock layers, particularly the overlying caprock(s) — could occur in terms of coupled thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and chemical (THMC) processes. These processes perturb the initial state of equilibrium in the subsurface over various spatial and temporal scales. A comprehensive assessment of these processes is essential to ensuring the long-term safety and effectiveness of storage. This Special Issue explores the latest advancements in THMC processes in the context of underground gas storage, covering spatial scales from sub-micrometer to several kilometers and temporal scales ranging from short-term responses to long-term geological effects.

We invite submissions of original research, review articles, and case studies that contribute to the fundamental understanding and practical applications of THMC processes in underground gas storage using experimental, computational, field observatory, and data-driven approaches.

Topics of interest for this call for papers include but are not restricted to:

• Multi-scale THMC interactions in hydrogen and CO2 storage systems;

• Geochemical processes and reactive transport in storage formations;

• Impacts of coupled THMC processes on caprock and reservoir integrity;

• Coupled flow and transport mechanisms in saline aquifers, depleted reservoirs, and salt caverns;

• Subsurface monitoring, imaging, and characterization techniques in light of relevant coupled multiphysics processes;

• Effects of cyclic injection and withdrawal on hydrogen storage performance;

• Machine learning for improved assessment of coupled THMC processes;

• Predictive tools of varying physical complexities for large-scale gas storage performance screening and optimization;

• Managing risks associated with gas leakage and induced seismicity;

• Physical constraints on the scale-up of underground gas storage technologies.

Guest Editors:

Dr. Atefeh Vafaie (Lead)
Imperial College London,
United Kingdom

Dr. Iman R. Kivi
Imperial College London,
United Kingdom

Dr. Jonny Rutqvist
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
United States

Dr. Peng-Zhi Pan
Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics,
Chinese Academy of Sciences,
China

Prof. Victor Vilarrasa
CSIC-UIB,
Spain

Keywords:

Induced Seismicity; Coupled THMC processes; Geologic CO2 storage; Reactive Transport in porous and fractured media; Underground Hydrogen storage.

Submission Guidelines/Instructions:

Please refer to the Author Guidelines to prepare your manuscript. When submitting your manuscript, please answer the question "Is this submission for a special issue?" by selecting the special issue title from the drop-down list.