Solidification Flows in Porous Media: Stories from Gas Hydrate and Snow

Solidification of a flowing fluid due to chemical or thermal gradients is ubiquitous in natural and engineered environments, with a broad range of applications in geological flows and material science. Yet, there is limited continuum theory to describe the dynamics of solidification flows in complex environments.  In this talk, I will introduce our work using the tools of phase-field theory,  high-resolution simulations, laboratory experiments and field observations to unravel how the fluid-solid transitions reshape the mechanics of flow in geologic porous media. 

I will first introduce a new percolation phenomenon --- crustal fingering --- which addresses the way in which gas hydrate formation facilitates instead of clogging methane gas migration in deep ocean sediments. Second, we will report on recent progress on modeling meltwater infiltration through porous snow, where refreezing of melt actively reshapes the macroscopic structure of snowpack and dictates the evolution of terrestrial snowpack and glacier systems at the large scale.