Cheng Mei

Cheng Mei’s research focuses on earthquake physics, induced seismicity, fault mechanics, and rock friction. His work integrates theoretical analysis, numerical modeling, and laboratory experiments to investigate fault mechanics and hydrothermal effects on both natural earthquakes and induced seismicity associated with engineering activities such as wastewater disposal, enhanced geothermal systems, and carbon storage. Injection-induced seismicity has become a significant concern in areas with active subsurface fluid injection, where wastewater disposal from oil and gas operations has led to a substantial increase in earthquake activity. While much of the attention has centered on the western and central U.S., particularly California and Oklahoma, rising volumes of fluid injection in the northeastern U.S., especially in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, have raised concerns about growing seismic hazards. The goal of his work as a Lamont Brinson Postdoctoral Fellow in Geophysics is to examine injection induced seismicity on rough faults, focusing on mainshock forecasting, poroelastic effects, and variability in fault orientations.