Mohamed Abdelmeguid, Ph.D.

Dr. Abdelmeguid’s research investigates how friction, material damage, and fluid flow interact to govern fault slip and subsurface failure. His group combines laboratory experiments, observations, and computational modeling to connect processes ranging from slow deformation between earthquakes to rapid rupture and seismic wave generation.

A central focus is understanding how coupled frictional, mechanical, and hydraulic processes govern fault behavior, from slow deformation and earthquake nucleation to dynamic rupture and the evolution of fault systems over successive earthquakes. The group investigates how fault geometry, evolving rock damage, and fluid flow influence the onset of instability, rupture propagation and arrest, and interactions that produce delayed triggering or cascading events. These studies connect fault mechanics across spatial and temporal scales to seismic and tsunami hazards, including the consequences of supershear rupture, complex earthquake sequences, and fluid-induced seismicity.

The group also develops scientific machine learning methods to accelerate simulations while retaining the underlying mechanics. These methods enable broader exploration of complex physical systems and support uncertainty quantification. Together, these efforts aim to strengthen the physical basis for assessing geohazards and managing subsurface operations.