معرفی
Dr. Johanna Heeb is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences, specializing in experimental rock deformation within the Earth Simulation Lab. Her research focuses on grain-scale mechanisms controlling salt deformation under hydrogen storage conditions, with direct applications to underground hydrogen storage (UHS) technology.
Her primary research interests include rock mechanics, fluid-rock interactions, and energy storage applications. She employs triaxial deformation tests combined with microstructural analysis (optical microscopy, SEM, EBSD) to study permeability evolution and mechanical behavior of rock salt under simulated NW European cavern conditions. Her work bridges fundamental geological processes with practical energy transition solutions.
Dr. Heeb's recent publications demonstrate significant contributions to understanding evaporite deformation mechanisms and hydration processes. Her research trends show increasing focus on energy storage applications, with a strong methodological emphasis on experimental validation of microstructural controls on bulk rock properties.
- Ramsay Medal 2024 for best tectonics-related PhD publication
- Curtin Publication Grant winner (2021)
As a researcher at Utrecht University's High Pressure and Temperature Laboratory, she contributes to advancing experimental methodologies for simulating subsurface conditions. Her work forms critical input for numerical models predicting storage integrity in salt caverns, with implications for renewable energy infrastructure development.
