International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences

Special Issue

Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Processes in Fractured Geological Media 2026

Fractures such as joints and faults are ubiquitous in the Earth’s crust and play an important role in various processes in geological media, including geomechanical deformation, fluid flow, mass transport, heat transfer, and chemical reaction. It is of central importance to advance our fundamental understanding and predictive capability of these coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in fractured geological media, which are highly relevant for different geological engineering problems, such as deep tunnel construction, landslide failure prediction, geothermal energy extraction, underground energy storage, nuclear waste disposal, carbon dioxide sequestration, and earthquake hazard assessment.

This special issue aims to highlight and summarize recent advances in understanding coupled THMC processes in fractured geological media based on theoretical models, numerical simulations, laboratory experiments, and/or field observations. Contributions will be selected based on submissions to CouFrac2026, the 5th International Conference on Coupled Processes in Fractured Geological Media: Observation, Modeling, and Application, which will be held in Uppsala, Sweden on September 20-23, 2026.

Guest editors:

Special Issue Guest Editors

Qinghua Lei, Associate Professor, Uppsala University, Sweden (Managing Guest Editor)

Jonny Rutqvist, Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA

Ki-Bok Min, Professor, Seoul National University, South Korea

Hideaki Yasuhara, Professor, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Christophe Tournassat, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France

Special issue information:

Possible Topics

The planned topics of this special issue include:

· Laboratory and field measurements of coupled THMC processes in fractured geological media;

· Mathematical, computational, and numerical modeling that considers coupled THMC processes in fractured geological media ranging from micro- to macro-scales;

· Coupled THMC processes associated with underground construction for civil infrastructure, waste disposal, and energy storage in various host rocks;

· Coupled THMC processes associated with geological hazards such as landslides, rockbursts, and earthquakes;

· Coupled THMC processes associated with geothermal energy development, carbon dioxide sequestration, underground energy storage, and geologic hydrogen;

· Engineering case studies of coupled THMC processes and related phenomena.

Potential Contributors

Contributors will be selected based on the top extended abstracts and presentations of the international conference CouFrac2026. Expected number of selected contributions to be published in the special issue is 20-30.

Manuscript submission information: 

Tentative Timeline

• Deadline for manuscript submission: March 1, 2027
• Revision Deadline: August 1, 2027
• Publication of the special issue editorial: October 1, 2027

Contributed papers must be submitted via the Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence online submission system (Editorial Manager®): Please select the article type “VSI: CouFrac2026” when submitting the manuscript online.