Research

My research interests include computational surface/subsurface hydrological response, variable saturated subsurface flow and reactive transport processes in porous media and fractured network, in particular, the assessment of the long-term geochemical repositories stability in sedimentary basin and crystalline rock. My recent research at UBC focuses on the development and application of reactive transport code MIN3P, including the development of MIN3P parallel version and MIN3P unstructured grid version. These developments have significantly enhanced the capabilities of MIN3P code in large-scale and long-term reactive transport modelling and extended the model capabilities from regular to complex simulation domain. With such a framework, the reactive transport simulation can be carried out from microscopic scale to regional scale within a practical time, providing a better understanding of complex geochemical processes.

Besides the code development, I am also in charge of MIN3P code maintenance, version control and verification. I have also been active in the reactive transport benchmark activities and mentoring graduate students’ research. 

I received my B.E. degree in hydrology and water resources engineering, and Ph.D. degree in hydraulic engineering from Zhejiang University, China. I am working to develop and apply latest numerical method in hydrology, hydrogeology and geochemistry. 

Education

Ph.D., Hydraulic Structure Engineering, Zhejiang University, P.R. China, 2006-2012.

B.E., Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Zhejiang University, P.R. China, 2002-2006.

Employment

Research Associate, University of British Columbia, Canada, 2017-present.

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia, Canada, 2012-2017.

2024

Ahusborde, E., Amaziane, B., de Hoop, S., El Ossmani, M., Flauraud, E., Hamon, F. P., Kern, M., Sociй, A., Su, D., Mayer, K. U. and others (2024), 'A benchmark study on reactive two-phase flow in porous media: Part II-results and discussion', Computational Geosciences, 1--18.

2023

Bereswill, S., Gatz-Miller, H., Su, D., Tцtzke, C., Kardjilov, N., Oswald, S. E. and Mayer, K. U. (2023), 'Coupling non-invasive imaging and reactive transport modeling to investigate water and oxygen dynamics in the root zone', Vadose Zone Journal 22(5), e20268.

Gatz-Miller, H. S., Gйrard, F., Su, D. and Mayer, K. U. (2023), 'Two-dimensional modeling of CO2 mineral trapping through the oxalate-carbonate pathway: Influence of the root system model', Science of The Total Environment 904, 166280.

Jia, M., Lapen, D. R., Su, D. and Mayer, K. U. (2023), 'Modeling of dual-permeability gas and solute reactive transport in macroporous agricultural soils with a focus on GHG cycling and emissions', Journal of Hydrology 620, 129408.

Xie, M., Su, D., MacQuarrie, K. T. and Mayer, K. U. (2023), 'Reactive Transport Modelling of Elevated Dissolved Sulphide Concentrations in Sedimentary Basin Rocks', Geofluids 2023(1), 7435602.

2022

Gatz-Miller, H. S., Gйrard, F., Verrecchia, E. P., Su, D. and Mayer, K. U. (2022), 'Reactive transport modelling the oxalate-carbonate pathway of the Iroko tree; Investigation of calcium and carbon sinks and sources', Geoderma410, 115665.

Jia, M., Blume, O., Amos, R. T., Su, D., Lapen, D. R. and Mayer, K. U. (2022), 'Assessing GHG cycling in agricultural and riparian soils using a uniform reactive transport modeling approach', Geoderma 425, 116078.

Su, D., Xie, M., Mayer, K. U. and MacQuarrie, K. T. (2022), 'The impact of ice sheet geometry on meltwater ingress and reactive solute transport in sedimentary basins', Water Resources Research 58(10), e2022WR032353.

Su, D., Xie, M., Mayer, K. U. and MacQuarrie, K. T. (2022), 'Simulation of diffusive solute transport in heterogeneous porous media with dipping anisotropy', Frontiers in Water 4(97414).

Xie, M., Su, D., Mayer, K. U. and MacQuarrie, K. T. (2022), 'Reactive transport investigations of the long-term geochemical evolution of a multibarrier system including bentonite, low-alkali concrete and host rock', Applied Geochemistry 143, 105385.

2021

Gatz-Miller, H., Su, D., Gйrard, F., Verrecchia, E. and Mayer, K. U. (2021), 'Investigation of the role of spatial evolution in a 2-D reactive transport simulation of the oxalate carbonate pathway', Goldschmidt2021• Virtual• 4-9 July.

Jia, M., Jacques, D., Gerard, F., Su, D., Mayer, K. and Simŭnek, J. (2021), 'A benchmark for soil organic matter degradation under variably saturated flow conditions', Computational Geosciences 25, 1359--1377.

Poonoosamy, J., Wanner, C., Alt Epping, P., Бguila, J., Samper, J., Montenegro, L., Xie, M., Su, D., Mayer, K., Mдder, U. and others (2021), 'Benchmarking of reactive transport codes for 2D simulations with mineral dissolution–precipitation reactions and feedback on transport parameters', Computational geosciences 25, 1337--1358.

Raymond, K. E., Seigneur, N., Su, D. and Mayer, K. U. (2021), 'Investigating the influence of structure and heterogeneity in waste rock piles on mass loading rates—a reactive transport modeling study', Frontiers in Water 3, 618418.

Su, D., Mayer, K. U. and MacQuarrie, K. T. (2021), 'MIN3P-HPC: A high-performance unstructured grid code for subsurface flow and reactive transport simulation', Mathematical Geosciences 53(4), 517--550.

Yi, X., Su, D., Seigneur, N. and Mayer, K. U. (2021), 'Modeling of Thermal-Hydrological-Chemical (THC) processes during waste rock weathering under permafrost conditions', Frontiers in Water 3, 645675.

Yi, X., Su, D., Bussiиre, B. and Mayer, K. U. (2021), 'Thermal-hydrological-chemical modeling of a covered waste rock pile in a permafrost region', Minerals 11(6), 565.

2020

Raymond, K. E., Seigneur, N., Su, D., Poaty, B., Plante, B., Bussiиre, B. and Mayer, K. U. (2020), 'Numerical modeling of a laboratory-scale waste rock pile featuring an engineered cover system', Minerals 10(8), 652.

Su, D., Mayer, K. U. and MacQuarrie, K. T. (2020), 'Numerical investigation of flow instabilities using fully unstructured discretization for variably saturated flow problems', Advances in Water Resources 143, 103673.

2019

Cohen, G. J., Bernachot, I., Su, D., Hцhener, P., Mayer, K. U. and Atteia, O. (2019), 'Laboratory-scale experimental and modelling investigations of 222Rn profiles in chemically heterogeneous LNAPL contaminated vadose zones', Science of the Total Environment 681, 456--466.

Hussain, S. I., Frey, S. K., Blowes, D. W., Ptacek, C. J., Wilson, D., Mayer, K. U., Su, D., Gottschall, N., Edwards, M. and Lapen, D. R. (2019), 'Reactive transport of manure-derived nitrogen in the vadose zone: Consideration of macropore connectivity to subsurface receptors', Vadose Zone Journal 18(1), 1--18.

2018

Bea, S. A., Su, D., Mayer, K. U. and MacQuarrie, K. T. (2018), 'Evaluation of the potential for dissolved oxygen ingress into deep sedimentary basins during a glaciation event', Geofluids 2018(1), 9475741.

2017

Su, D., Mayer, K. U. and MacQuarrie, K. T. (2017), 'Parallelization of MIN3P-THCm: A high performance computational framework for subsurface flow and reactive transport simulation', Environmental Modelling & Software 95, 271--289.

2015

Sengцr, S. S., Mayer, K. U., Greskowiak, J., Wanner, C., Su, D. and Prommer, H. (2015), 'A reactive transport benchmark on modeling biogenic uraninite re-oxidation by Fe (III)-(hydr) oxides', Computational geosciences19, 569--583.

Marty, N. C., Bildstein, O., Blanc, P., Claret, F., Cochepin, B., Gaucher, E. C., Jacques, D., Lartigue, J.-E., Liu, S., Mayer, K. U. and others (2015), 'Benchmarks for multicomponent reactive transport across a cement/clay interface', Computational Geosciences 19, 635--653.

Perko, J., Mayer, K. U., Kosakowski, G., De Windt, L., Govaerts, J., Jacques, D., Su, D. and Meeussen, J. C. (2015), 'Decalcification of cracked cement structures', Computational Geosciences 19, 673--693.