GELE Upcoming Special Issue
Introduction
The global community increasingly emphasizes the urgent need of rapid emission reductions and a commitment to net-zero targets. These global challenges underscore the societal urgency for interdisciplinary innovation. Yet, too often, existing efforts are conducted in isolated disciplinary contexts, lacking a cohesive exploration of their relation with other fields. This upcoming special issue in Géotechnique Letters aims to disseminate recent findings and innovations in subsurface geotechnology that contribute to global decarbonization efforts.
Interdisciplinary research spanning geotechnics, geosciences, and new material discovery plays an increasingly important role in addressing climate challenges, from advancing carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems to optimizing renewable energy production through gas storage, engineered geothermal systems and by enabling sustainable implementation practices. Contributions that explore and outline novel theoretical frameworks, methodologies, materials, and technologies are welcome, as well as interdisciplinary approaches, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration.
Emphasis will be placed on theoretical advancements, computational modelling across length scales and spanning multiple physical processes, innovative experimental methods, and high-profile case studies that demonstrate measurable impacts on decarbonization and promising directions for industry and governance.
At variance with previous editorial efforts in this domain, this special issue adopts a holistic approach by integrating advancements across several strategic subsurface technologies, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), renewable energy infrastructure, hydrogen storage, geothermal solutions, and sustainable construction, thus highlighting the pivotal role played by geomaterials and geosystems in decarbonization efforts. By doing so, this collection aims to foster the exchange of ideas among researchers and practitioners from different disciplines committed in developing sustainable, resilient solutions for a low-carbon future.
List of topic areas
This special issue welcomes papers on the following themes:
Geological carbon storage
Deep geothermal technologies
Multi-physical processes in geomaterials and geosystems
Deep and shallow gas storage
Net zero-carbon materials
The Special issue aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructures), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).,/span>
Submissions Information
Author guidelines should be read carefully before submitting. Papers in Géotechnique Letters are limited to 2,000 words (main text only, excluding article title, 200-word abstract, figures, tables, figure captions and references).
Once you have registered with our Editorial system, ReView (https://ice-review.rivervalley.io/journal/jgele), choose article type "Themed issue Paper" and then select 'Advances in Subsurface Geotechnology for Decarbonization ' from the drop-down menu on screen.
Please note: The inclusion of the papers submitted under this call to this special publication is contingent on the successful outcome of the peer review process. Depending on the number of submissions and the reviewers’ feedback, the contributions that will eventually not be selected for the special publication may still be considered for publication in a regular issue. The authors will be notified about this outcome after the first round of revision.
Submit your paper here by 31 August 2025
Author guidelines available here
Guest Editors
Professor Giuseppe Buscarnera, Northwestern University, USA
Professor Gabriele Della Vecchia, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Dr Jeffrey Hyman, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA
Key deadline
Opening date for manuscript submissions: 01 June 2025
Closing date for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025