Ruben Juanes

Research Interests

I am a geoscientist with a strong interest in the physics of multiphase flow in porous media.
My research focuses on advancing our fundamental understanding and predictive capabilities of the simultaneous flow of two or more fluids through rocks, soils and other porous materials.
Research in my group combines theory, simulation and experiments that elucidate fundamental aspects of multi-fluid flow, which we then apply for prediction of large-scale Earth science problems in the areas of energy and the environment, including geological carbon sequestration, methane hydrates, and ecohydrology of arid environments.

Topics I investigate:

• Methane: methane hydrates in nature; methane venting from freshwater sediments
• CO2: Geological carbon sequestration; capillary and solubility trapping; geomechanics
• Oil: Enhanced oil recovery; flow instabilities; mixing; flow through fractured media
• Water: Water infiltration; gravity fingering; ecohydrology of arid environments

Biographic Sketch

Ruben Juanes has been a member of the MIT faculty in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering since 2006, with a joint appointment in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences since 2017. Juanes earned an Ingeniero de Caminos from the University of La Coruna, Spain in 1997 and completed his graduate studies at UC Berkeley, earning an MS in 1999 and a PhD in 2003. During his time at MIT, he also has served as Director of the Henry L. Pierce Laboratory for Infrastructure Science and Engineering.