Thomas Poulet

Research Scientist in Mathematical Geoscience

My research focuses on geomechanical modelling of geological scenarios involving localisation phenomena, i.e. cases where interesting geological patterns of deformation emerge distinctly from the background at a range of scales. Specifically, I am particularly interested in the multi-physical couplings between geological processes involved, including mechanical deformation, fluid flow in porous media, heat transport and chemical interactions between fluids and host rocks. To solve such problem, I develop numerical simulation solutions in an efficient and scalable manner for high-performance computing facilities. I applied this approach to various geological applications in the fields of mineral exploration, conventional and unconventional energy, as well as geothermal energy.

Technical skills

  • Expertise in theoretical and applied geomechanics
  • Multi-physics modelling
  • Numerical computing
  • Software development

 

Professional skills

2008 – present
CSIRO Mineral Resources – Research scientist

2017 – 2019
UNSW Sydney – Part-time senior lecturer at the School of Petroleum Engineering

2014 – 2016
UNSW Sydney – Visiting scientist at the School of Petroleum Engineering

2007 – 2014
CSIRO Mineral Resources – Research scientist

2003 – 2008
CSIRO – Mathematical geoscientist

Education

PhD (Geology) “Reactive transport in damageable geomaterials – Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical coupling of geological processes”
University of Western Australia  (2012)

Eurecom Institute (Multimedia), Sophia Antipolis, France (2002)

Télécom ParisTech (Signal Processing), French National School of Telecommunication, Paris, France (2001)

Ecole Polytechnique (Applied Mathematics), Palaiseau, France (2000)

Selected publications

Gilgannon, J., Waldvogel, M., Poulet, T., Fusseis, F., Berger, A., Barnhoorn, A., Herwegh, M.  (2021), Experimental evidence that viscous shear zones generate periodic pore sheets that focus mass transport, Solid Earth (in press) doi:10.5194/se-2020-137

Veveakis, M., Poulet, T. (2021) A note on the instability and pattern formation of shrinkage cracks in viscoplastic soils, Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, 25, 100198, doi:10.1016/j.gete.2020.100198

Lesueur, M., Poulet, T., Veveakis, M. (2020), “Permeability hysteresis from channel opening during dissolution/reprecipitation cycle”, Geophysical Research Letters, 47:18, e2020GL088674, doi: 10.1029/2020GL088674

Gilgannon, J., Poulet, T., Berger, A., Barnhoorn, A., Herwegh, M. (2020) Dynamic recrystallisation can produce porosity in shear zones, Geophysical Research Letter, 47, e2019GL086172, doi: 10.1029/2019GL086172

Lesueur, M., Poulet, T., Veveakis, M. (2020) Three-scale multiphysics finite element framework (FE³) modelling fault reactivation, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 365, 112988, doi: 10.1016/j.cma.2020.112988

Sari, M., Alevizos, S., Poulet, T., Lin, J., Veveakis, M. (2020) A visco-plastic framework for interface processes in sedimentary reservoir rocks at HPHT conditions, Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, 22, 100165, doi: 10.1016/j.gete.2019.100165

Lin, J., Sari, M., Veveakis, M., Poulet, T. (2020) A heuristic model inversion for coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling of triaxial experiments, Computers and Geotechnics, 117, 103278, doi: 10.1016/j.compgeo.2019.103278