Ryan M. Pollyea

Ryan M. Pollyea is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech’s College of Science. His research focuses on geofluids, energy resources, and geologic CO2 sequestration, with expertise in numerical modeling of fluid flow in porous media and geospatial analysis. He leads the VT Hydrogeosciences Lab, investigating processes like CO2 sequestration in basalt reservoirs and fluid-induced seismicity linked to wastewater injection.

Education: Ph.D., University of Idaho (2012); B.S., University of Dayton (1999). His team includes PhD student Wu Hao and MS student Gradyon Konzen, studying topics like capillary pressure uncertainty and hydraulic effects of wastewater injection.

Research interests span coupled thermal-hydro-chemical-mechanical modeling, fracture network characterization via LiDAR, and reservoir-scale permeability changes. He emphasizes applying computational methods to address energy and environmental challenges, with a focus on carbon storage and induced seismicity mitigation.

Teaching includes courses like Groundwater Hydrology, Reactive Transport Modeling, and Engineering Geology. His work integrates high-performance computing and machine learning to analyze large datasets, exemplified by collaborations on exascale simulation frameworks and semantic interaction tools for ensemble analysis.

Current projects include the Virginia SWIFT initiative, assessing aquifer recharge risks, and evaluating carbon storage potential in basaltic formations. His lab’s research underscores the interplay between subsurface fluid dynamics and geological processes, with applications to sustainable energy and environmental management.