Kang Research Group advances our fundamental understanding of coupled flow processes in porous and fractured media. We combine theory, high-performance numerical simulation, machine learning, and visual laboratory experiments to understand how the coupling between multiple processes such as biogeochemical, thermal, and mechanical processes controls fluid flow and reactive transport in hydrologic and subsurface systems across spatial scales (from pore to field scale). Based on the improved understanding, we develop predictive models for various applications such as contaminant transport in hydrologic systems, fractured aquifer characterization, aquifer storage and recovery, and groundwater and surface-water interactions.
Examples of ongoing research projects are:
- Upscaling transport, mixing, and reaction in porous and fractured media
- Geologic carbon mineralization
- Biogeochemical processes in fractured media
- Density effects on flow, transport, and mixing in porous and fractured media
- Microfluidics experiments for visualizing biochemical processes in porous media
- Inverse problems for subsurface characterization
- Aquifer storage and recovery
- In-situ bioremediation of contaminated fractured aquifers