Dr. Zhihong Zhao delivered the seventh lecture of the "Propylite" Academic Salon Series 

The seventh lecture of the "Propylite" academic salon series hosted by the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering (CSRME) was held on the morning of August 22, 2020. Dr. Zhihong Zhao From Tsinghua University, delivered a wonderful online lecture entitled "Key multi-physical issues regarding the sustainable exploration of geothermal resources in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei     region"  through

"Zhuanjiabao" - a live broadcast platform for engineering experts. The academic salon was moderated by Dr. Xin Huang, the secretary in general of the Youth Working Committee of CSRME.

During the lecture, Dr. Zhao firstly introduced the state-of-art about the geothermal exploration in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region as well as its major scientific and engineering challenges. A variety of the recent work from his research group regarding the multi-physical laboratory tests, advanced numerical modeling and theoretical models for exploring the fundamental aspects of rock mechanics associated with geothermal exploration were presented. Finally, the technique for large-scale multi-physical modeling of geothermal exploration was introduced and its potential application and guidance to the design of geothermal wells for real projects was discussed. Nearly 900 audiences from both domestic and oversea watched the lecture online and Dr. Zhao and the audience had very intensive interactions regarding the design and consideration of multi-physical experiments, setup of numerical model, development and application of the modified hydraulic aperture model, and implication of the kilometer-scale numerical model to practical engineering of geothermal exploration at the end of the lecture. The Q&A lasted for nearly 45 mins.

The purpose of launching the online academic salon series "Propylite" is to overcome the obstacles to academic communication in this unusual period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The salon aims at strengthening the academic communications among young scholars in rock mechanics and engineering, and stimulating the academic atmosphere.