Rate My Professor David Dempsey

Professor David Dempsey is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Canterbury, where he leads the subsurface engineering group. His research addresses major challenges for a low-carbon world, including next-generation geothermal systems, hydrogen storage, carbon dioxide removal, and safe underground injection. Dempsey's work focuses on induced seismicity, geothermal energy, volcanic eruption forecasting, and subsurface fluid dynamics. He has published extensively in high-impact journals, with key papers including 'Hydraulic fracturing fluid migration in the subsurface: A review and expanded modeling results' (Water Resources Research, 2015, 197 citations), 'Automatic precursor recognition and real-time forecasting of sudden explosive volcanic eruptions at Whakaari, New Zealand' (Nature Communications, 2020, 141 citations), 'Physics-based forecasting of induced seismicity at Groningen gas field, the Netherlands' (Geophysical Research Letters, 2017, 130 citations), 'Seismic precursors to the Whakaari 2019 phreatic eruption are transferable to other eruptions and volcanoes' (Nature Communications, 2022, 59 citations), and 'Numerical modeling of injection, stress and permeability enhancement during shear stimulation at the Desert Peak Enhanced Geothermal System' (International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2015, 77 citations). His contributions extend to modeling multiphase flows in geothermal reservoirs, eruption precursors using machine learning, and risks associated with carbon capture and storage.

Dempsey earned his PhD in Engineering Science from the University of Auckland in 2012, focusing on geothermal systems modeling, following an MSc from the University of Otago awarded in 2009. Previously, he served as a Senior Lecturer in Engineering Science at the University of Auckland. At the University of Canterbury, he joined as Senior Lecturer Above the Bar in Civil and Natural Resources Engineering in December 2020 and has since been promoted to Professor. He supervises Master's and doctoral students and teaches courses in civil engineering. Dempsey has secured significant research funding, including multi-million-dollar grants for projects on negative emissions and energy transition. His expertise informs public discourse on topics such as carbon storage leakage risks, hydrogen geostorage, and geothermal development, with contributions to international reports like the IEA on hydrogen storage technology. He maintains an active presence through media opinions and seminars, including at Stanford University on global geothermal growth.