Iman Rahimzadeh Kivi
ERE Energy, Resources and the Environment
The 2025 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Iman Rahimzadeh Kivi for outstanding contributions to the characterisation and modelling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geo-energy applications and enthusiastic community service.
Since completing his PhD in 2018 in Iran, Iman Rahimzadeh Kivi has advanced the understanding of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geological media by employing multi-disciplinary techniques, combining laboratory experiments, borehole observations, data analysis, and numerical simulations. At his early career stage, Kivi's achievements already include several impressive milestones: opening up a novel approach to evaluating shale brittleness with far-reaching implications in the energy sector by leveraging his breadth of expertise in laboratory testing of mechanical rock behaviour; developing an innovative and multi-scale technique for the characterisation and modelling of reactive multi-phase CO2 flow through reservoir and sealing rocks; assessing basin-wide CO2 leakage possibility over an unprecedented time scale of millions of years, building confidence in geologic CO2 storage as a secure means of achieving carbon neutrality. His most ground-breaking research is on process understanding of injection-induced seismicity, in which he has led a team developing a global physics-based database of human-induced earthquakes with great potential to boost research in seismic hazard forecasting and mitigation.
His leadership is demonstrated by twelve publications as first-author in high-impact scientific journals. He frequently presents his work at international conferences and has given invited talks through which he has established collaborations worldwide. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in geosciences and supervised MSc and PhD students. He has enthusiastically served the ERE Division by convening a well-received EGU session on coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical processes in geological media. Kivi greatly cares about effective public outreach through publishing papers in general audience journals and interviewing with the media.
His readiness to be an independent researcher soon is evidenced by having been awarded three prestigious post-doctoral fellowships through highly competitive calls, including the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship. Kivi's impactful research and outstanding scientific achievements verify him as a first-class and emerging leading ERE scientist.