Research
David's research centres on structure, stress, mineralisation, and fluid flow in the Earth's crust and how this impacts:
a) Energy-critical geological resources such as geothermal reservoirs, energy-critical-element ore bodies, and carbon capture and storage.
b) Mineral carbonation, both natural and engineering, and its role in the global carbon-cycle.
c) Mineral vein formation and its role in the Earth's crack-seal cycle.
d) Geohazards such as fault stability and slow slip earthquakes
I employ a range of geoscientific skills from wireline logging, borehole image logging, fault trenching, field mapping, and drill-core analysis, combined with expert skills in microanalysis of Earth materials including electron backscatter diffraction, cathodoluminesence, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy.
Exploring hydrothermal mineral alteration processes in oceanic crust - Mid Atlantic Ridge
Basalt lavas are created on the ocean floor at the spreading centre of the Atlantic Ocean to part of the oceanic crust of the Earth. Once they form them begin chemically interacting with seawater in a process referred to as hydrothermal mineral alteration. This process can impact how fluids move around within the Earth’s crust, how the ocean crust can provide long-term storage of carbon dioxide, records changes in ocean chemistry with time, and forms part of several important global element cycles. I took part in International Ocean Discovery Program expeditions 395C and 395, where the Jodi's Resolution drill ship drilled a series of wells into the oceanic crust, recovered a wealth of samples of basalt and the ocean sediments that overly them. These samples span locations close to the centre of the Mid-Atlantic ridge where new oceanic crust was formed, to more distant locations that sampled older, more evolved oceanic crust. My research is utilising the data and samples collected on these expeditions to develop new insights into how hydrothermal mineral interactions between ocean water and oceanic crust develop and change with geological time. Understanding such changes will provide better insight into the role oceanic crust basalts play in climate evolution, carbon dioxide storage, and ocean floor tectonics.
Determining the mechanisms, controls, and impacts of fracture sealing mineralisation in energy-critical geological resources.
This research uses experimental and microanalytical approaches to investigate the mechanisms that facilitate mineralisation in fractured energy-critical geosystems such as geothermal reservoirs, mineral and metal ore bodies with energy-critical-element concentrations, and systems with potential for mineral capture and storage of CO2. Research in this theme aims to better understand how, and why mineralisation processes impact the Earth's subsurface, and develop new tools for the environmental and sustainable exploration and utilisation of energy-critical geosystems. This research these includes collaboration with Professors Diego Morata (University of Chile) and Gloria Arancibia (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) investigating geothermal mineralisation in Nevados de Chilean, and PhD research being carried out by PhD researchers Mahesh Kajendran (University of Liverpool) Jonathan Alexander (University of Liverpool), Sam Grainger (University of Liverpool), Dawid Rybak (University of Liverpool), and Aisling Scully (University College Cork).
Structure, stress, and fluid flow in resources for decarbonising society
This research theme seeks to understand and better characterise the interrelationships between reservoir rocks, faults, fractures, tectonic stresses, and fluid flow in important geological resources identified as way to decarbonise our society, including geothermal and CO2 storage resources. Current research in this theme includes exploring fault stability in Irish Sea CCS reservoirs with Dr Emma Michie (University of Liverpool) and researchers at University of Galway, Ireland, as well a PhD research on the geothermal potential of the Chad Basin with Hamza Sadiq (University of Liverpool), and into air injection into abandoned oil fields for heat generation with Ben Storey (University of Liverpool).
Research groups
Research grants
Exploring variation in hydrothermal alteration of the oceanic crust
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
February 2023 - January 2025
Exploring hydrothermal alteration mineralogy and fluid flow properties to generate next generation conceptual models of fractured geothermal systems
ROYAL SOCIETY
March 2023 - March 2025
IODP Expedition
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
August 2021 - December 2023
Research collaborations
Dr Fabian Sepulveda
Contact Energy Ltd
Research collaboration to understand the interlinked roles geological structure, stress, and fluid flow have on the Wairakei Geothermal Field.