7 October | 13:00 - 14:00
Dr. Mahya Roustaei will give a seminar entitled "Non-destructive imaging in a warming climate".
This seminar is organised by the ELI-E (Environmental Sciences) division of the Earth and Life Institute.
Dr. Mahya Roustaei is the Director of the UGent Geotechnical Institute (UGGI) and Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Ghent University. Her research focuses on the geomechanics of frozen and fine-grained soils, permafrost engineering, and the application of high-resolution X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) for non-destructive soil characterization.
Before joining UGent, she worked as a permafrost scientist at the University of Alberta, where she led the development of non-destructive characterization techniques for frozen ground samples. At UGGI, she is advancing this work by developing a novel experimental device for 4D CT testing of porous materials under thermo-hydro-mechanical loading, enabling time-resolved imaging of soil and other climate-sensitive materials.
Dr. Roustaei also serves as the Belgian representative to the PermaCOST Action Group, which promotes the coordinated and standardized monitoring of permafrost response to climate change
This presentation explores the application of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) to study climate-sensitive soils and permafrost in a warming world. By visualizing internal changes such as ice content, pore structure, and freeze–thaw driven deformation, CT provides new insights into how soils respond to shifting thermal and hydrological regimes. The talk highlights recent advances at UGent in developing custom equipment for 4D CT testing, enabling time-resolved imaging of soils under controlled thermo-hydro-mechanical conditions. These innovations demonstrate the potential of non-destructive imaging to standardize soil characterization and inform climate-adaptive design and policy.