Even though the world is transforming into information-intensive society, the traditional problems related to ‘the earth and resources’, such as shortage of natural resources and energy, global environmental pollution and natural disasters, are getting extremely serious. Engineering geology is, therefore, playing a major role, as a tool to solve such various problems related to the earth and resources facing human beings.
Our laboratory of Earth and Resource System is conducting research on various issues: exploration / development of natural resources, understanding of earthquake occurrence, conservation of the global environment, disaster prevention and civil engineering.
Introduction Video for our lab is now available!!
News
Oct. 2025 Research by Prasad Karunarathne and Weiren Lin, “Ultrasonic P-wave velocities in granite cores with an inclined joint filled with sand and clay under varying water contents,” has been published in International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106316)!
Oct. 2025 Takaaki Kitazawa was selected as a finalist for Best Student Paper Award at APSAR2025 (The 9th Asia-Pacific Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar)!
Sep. 2025 Research by Motohiro Fujii et al., “Resistivity measurements of rocks from a volcanic region and estimating of porosity depth profile by integration of the laboratory results and log data – An example from the western part of the Aso Volcano,” has been published in Butsuri-Tansa (Geophysical Exploration) (https://doi.org/10.3124/segj.78.35)!
Jul. 2025 Research by Kazuya Ishitsuka et al., “Reliable and Practical Inverse Modeling of Natural-State Geothermal Systems Using Physics-Informed Neural Networks: Three-Dimensional Model Construction and Assimilation With Magnetotelluric Data,” has been published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Machine Learning and Computation (https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JH000683)!
May. 2025 Nana Kamiya received the Outstanding Presentation Award at the Society of Materials Science, Japan (第74期学術講演会優秀講演発表賞)!
Feb. 2025 Research by Shuai Feng et al., “Thermal properties of rock core samples and their correlations with other physical properties in the volcanic region surrounding the Aso Volcano,” has been published in Thermal Science and Engineering Progress (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsep.2025.103434)!
Jan. 2025 Research by Matsu’ura, co-authored by Kazuya Ishitsuka, “Geological and geodetical vertical deformation profiles across the Kuradake fault group, Central Kyushu, SW Japan: Estimation of the proportion of triggered aseismic slip in the total late Quaternary slip,” has been published in Tectonophysics (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2025.230625)!
Oct. 2024 Research by Akihiro Shima et al., “Modeling unobserved geothermal structures using a physics-informed neural network with transfer learning of prior knowledge,” has been published in Geothermal Energy (https://doi.org/10.1186/s40517-024-00312-7)!
Sep. 2024 Weiren Lin received 2024 Science Achievement Award, ISRM (International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering) (https://isrm.net/page/show/137?tab=1422)!
Jun. 2024 Yuhi Sakai received the Outstanding Student Presentation Award in Solid Earth Sciences Section at Japan Geoscience Union 2024 (https://www.jpgu.org/en/ospa/2024meeting/)!
Jun. 2024 Yutaro Shigemitsu received the best paper award at Japan Society of Engineering Geology!
May. 2024 Research by Yupeng Cao et al., “Model-based offline reinforcement learning framework for optimizing tunnel boring machine operation,” has been published in Underground Space (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.undsp.2024.01.008)!
May. 2024 Research by Yutaro Shigemitsu et al., “Effect of drone flight speed on intensity images in drone-based synthetic aperture radar analysis of mine slopes,” has been published in Remote Sensing Letters (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/2150704X.2024.2354070)!
Mar. 2024 Research by Nazir Mafakheri Bashmagh et al., “Application of supervised machine learning classification models to identify borehole breakouts in carbonate reservoirs based on conventional log data,” has been published in International Journal of the JSRM (https://doi.org/10.11187/ijjsrm.240101)!
Mar. 2024 Research by Kodai Tomomatsu et al., “Anisotropy of Thermal Conductivity and P-wave Velocity in Sedimentary Soft Rocks and their Relationships with Porosity,” has been published in Journal of the Society of Materials Science, Japan (https://doi.org/10.2472/jsms.73.205)!
Jan. 2024 Research by Masahiro Miyazaki et al., “Anisotropy of Consolidation Yield Stress and Comparison with Anisotropy of Elastic Wave Velocity and Tensile Strength in Sedimentary Soft Rocks,” has been published in Journal of the Society of Materials Science, Japan (https://doi.org/10.2472/jsms.73.84)!
Dec. 2023 Research by Nazir Mafakheri Bashmagh et al., “Comprehensive analysis of stress magnitude and orientations and natural fractures in complex structural regimes oil reservoir: Implications for tectonic and oil field development in the Zagros suture zone,” has been published in Marine and Petroleum Geology (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106615)!
Nov. 2023 Research by Weiren Lin et al., “Compressive Strength of a Pliocene Sedimentary Soft Rock Retrieved from Nankai Trough Ocean Drillings,” has been published in Materials Transactions (https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.MT-Z2023007)!
Jun. 2023 Research by Yutaro Shigemitsu et al., “Changes in widespread aquifer properties caused by a magnitude 6-class earthquake evaluated using InSAR analyses,” has been published in International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2023.103394)!
May. 2023 Yutaro Shigemitsu received the best presentation award at the 147th fall meeting of The Society of Exploration Geophysicists of Japan!
May. 2023 Research by Haruto Sugamoto et al.,”Measurement of thermal conductivities of drill cuttings and quantification of the contribution of thermal conduction to the temperature log of the Hachimantai geothermal field, Japan,” has been published in Geothermics(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2023.102742)!
Mar. 2023 Yuhi Sakai received the best student presentation award at MMIJ Annual Meeting 2023 of The Mining and Materials Processing Institute of Japan!
Mar. 2023 Research by Kazuya Ishitsuka et al.,”Physics-informed neural network for inverse modeling of natural-state geothermal systems,” has been published in Applied Energy(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.120855)!
Nov. 2022 Haruto Sugamoto received the best student presentation award at the 2022 annual meeting of the geothermal research society of Japan(photo)!
Nov. 2022 Research by Weiren Lin et al., “Three-dimensional stress state above and below the plate boundary fault after the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku earthquake,” has been published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117888)!
Oct. 2022 Research by Kazuya Ishitsuka et al., “Calculation of P-Wave Velocity in Sandstones with Different Pore Size Distributions Using Digital Rock Model without Segmentation,” has been published in Materials Transactions(http://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.MT-Z2022014)
Sep. 2022 Research by Nazir Mafakheri Bashmagh et al., “Magnitudes and Orientations of Present-Day In-Situ Stresses in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Insights into combined strike-slip and reverse faulting stress regimes,” has been published in Journal of Asian Earth Science(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2022.105398)!
