Contact person: Joanna Dziadkowiec. Email: joannadz@uio.no
Group/project web sites:
- Njord Centre for Studies of the Physics of the Earth
- REACTivity under confinement
- VICCO VISTA Centre for CO2 Storage in Volcanic-Sedimentary Systems
Brief description of the research group
We perform experiments to visualize and quantify real-time mineral growth within tiny pores. This growth is something typically hidden - it happens in rocks, concrete, ceramics, and other porous materials.
Using high-resolution experimental techniques (for instance atomic force microscopy), we observe the early stages of crystal nucleation and growth both inside pores and on free surfaces. These processes start at scales of nanometers to microns and mostly continue unseen until their macroscopic effects appear: as minerals nucleate and grow, they can fracture their surroundings and completely change the properties of rocks and porous materials - for example, by forming hydrated mineral phases that give cement its remarkable strength.
We explore these possible consequences of mineral growth for the surrounding matrix, which are both destructive (micro-fracturing, loss of cohesion) and constructive (strengthening by new mineral phases, cementation and increase in cohesion). Also, we study minerals that incorporate CO2 in their structures, and explore how we can use these minerals for future CO2 storage.
We are an engaged team of experimental physicists, geologists, and students working together with Joanna Dziadkowiec at the Njord Centre and the VICCO Centre.
Motivation for collaborating with an artist
I am very interested in collaborating with an artist first and foremost, because mineral growth provides striking visual and time-lapse experimental data. Mineral growth is fascinating as a highly dynamic process that responds to changes in local chemistry, and it can reveal surprising behaviors when growing in tiny pores. Such mineral growth has resulted in a remarkable variety of rock types but is still poorly understood.
This topic also matters to everyday life: minerals comprise anything from simple resources such as building stones to complex materials such as engineered high-performance cements. Mineral growth affects modern infrastructure and cultural heritage, and it becomes increasingly important for anthropogenic activities such as long-term CO2 storage.
CO2 can be trapped in carbonate minerals, but those minerals must form underground in porous rock - and we still know relatively little about how minerals form in porous rocks or what the broader consequences of this engineered mineralization might be.
I am also quite keen to see how collaboration with an artist could inspire new scientific directions in our research.
Examples of activities that the artist can participate in
An artist is invited to be a part of our research activities, participate in our mineral growth experiments, look at the minerals forming, and explore minerals at the micron- and nanoscales. We can provide access to various datasets showing real-time movies and images of mineral growth. Furthermore, the artist can be part of fieldwork (e.g. Norway, Iceland) where we study natural examples of mineral growth in rocks.
Work space / time period
Njord Centre - offices and laboratories. Any time period fall 2026 - spring 2027.