Observe
Distributed acoustic sensing and seismic arrays transform long fibers and dense sensors into spatially continuous measurements.
APPLIED GEOPHYSICS · DISTRIBUTED FIBER-OPTIC SENSING · SCIENTIFIC AI
Observe the invisible.Understand the Earth.
Building intelligent ways to observe, understand, and protect the physical world.
My work connects distributed fiber-optic sensing, applied geophysics, physics-based modeling, edge and high-performance computing, and AI—from subsurface energy and seismic intelligence to infrastructure, geological hazards, and environmental observation.
01 / A GRAND CHALLENGE
Humanity can only understand what it can observe.
New instruments have repeatedly transformed science by revealing worlds that were previously invisible. My long-term goal is to build intelligent observation systems that unite dense sensing, physical models, and AI—turning continuous measurements into trustworthy understanding and useful action.
I believe the future of geoscience will be driven by the integration of physics, sensing, computation, and AI.
02 / A CONNECTED RESEARCH JOURNEY
A connected research journey
Each capability is a chapter in the same story: observe physical change, understand its mechanism, reason with evidence, and support better decisions.
Understand
Physics-based modeling links vibration, strain, deformation, fractures, and wave propagation to the processes that create them.
Reason
Scientific computing and AI organize validated tools, interrogate complex data, and communicate traceable interpretations.
Act
Monitoring systems carry research into energy, infrastructure, hazards, transportation, and environmental observation.
03 / RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
Research directions
Four connected directions translate new ways of sensing into scientific understanding and public value.
01SUBSURFACE · ENERGY
Subsurface energy & reservoir characterization
Distributed sensing, microseismicity, and geomechanics characterize fractures, faults, fluid–rock interaction, and reservoir response across unconventional oil and gas, hydraulic fracturing, geothermal resources, and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS).
Unconventional reservoirs · EGS · geothermal · hydraulic fractures · reservoir characterization02SEISMOLOGY · COMPUTING
Real-time seismic monitoring
Edge and high-performance computing support rapid detection, location, characterization, and traceable interpretation of natural earthquakes and anthropogenic seismic events from continuous seismic and DAS streams.
Real-time monitoring · edge computing · HPC · natural and anthropogenic events03SMART TRANSPORTATION · SMART CITY
Smart transportation & urban infrastructure monitoring
Distributed sensing supports the health and operation of transportation corridors and urban infrastructure—from roads, bridges, roadside slopes, and tunnels to highways, railways, metros, traffic flow, and vehicle weight.
Roads · bridges · slopes · tunnels · highways · railways · metros · traffic and weight04ENVIRONMENT · HAZARDS · HUMANITARIAN
Environmental, hazard & humanitarian geophysics
Geophysical monitoring supports natural- and human-induced hazard assessment and early warning, including landslides, avalanches, mine safety, and other environmental risks. Exploratory work also includes non-invasive wildlife observation through ground vibration.
Natural and human-induced hazards · mine safety · early warning · wildlife observation04 / SYSTEMS — WHAT I BUILD
Systems — What I build
Research becomes useful when sensing, computation, interpretation, and communication work as one dependable system.
01FLAGSHIP · AI-AGENT INTEGRATED
Bridge monitoring intelligence
A conversational AI layer connects reviewed engineering algorithms with a live dashboard, helping users interpret structural response, alert states, standard figures, and monitoring reports.
Bridge vibration · structural modes · explainable alerts · reporting
02DAS · ROADBED
Roadbed health monitoring
Distributed fiber-optic sensing images roadbed response along transportation corridors and supports continuous assessment of spatial and temporal changes.
Roadbed response · corridor monitoring · distributed measurement03DAS · TRAFFIC FLOW
Traffic flow and vehicle monitoring
Continuous roadside fiber sensing supports vehicle passage, traffic flow and speed analysis, with ongoing research on axle detection and dynamic vehicle weighing.
Traffic flow · vehicle speed · axle detection · dynamic weighing04EDGE COMPUTING · REAL TIME
Real-time seismic processing
Streaming workflows bring detection and first-pass interpretation closer to the sensor, while high-performance computing supports larger-scale analysis and model refinement.
Continuous streams · edge processing · scalable computing · traceable outputs05 / FUTURE SCIENTIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE
Future scientific infrastructure
Exploratory ideas for moving from intelligent instruments to more open, reproducible, and verifiable science.
FROM INTELLIGENT OBSERVATION TO TRUSTED COLLABORATION
AI for Scientific Discovery
Scientific agents that connect observations, physical models, validated algorithms, and human judgment—accelerating discovery without hiding the evidence trail.
Decentralized Science (DeSci)
New ways to organize open collaboration, reproducible workflows, shared scientific resources, and transparent recognition of contributions.
Blockchain-enabled research trust
Tamper-evident provenance for data, models, versions, and decisions—used where verifiability adds real scientific value, not as a technology slogan.
These are forward-looking research questions, not claims of deployed production infrastructure.
06 / SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Selected publications
Peer-reviewed articles and a selected conference contribution. Available author copies can be downloaded directly; the site records aggregate download totals only.
Article
Advances in the spatiotemporal characteristics and mechanisms of earthquake static and dynamic triggering
Reviews of Geophysics and Planetary Physics
Article
Rheological structure of lithosphere in northern Tibet inferred from postseismic deformation modeling of the 2001 Mw 7.8 Kokoxili earthquake
Chinese Journal of Geophysics
Article
Rupture triggering process of Wenchuan earthquake seismogenic faults
Chinese Journal of Geophysics
06B / PATENTS
Patents
Selected patent applications spanning earthquake early warning, transportation monitoring, infrastructure health, and vibration-based geophysics.
Method, device, equipment, and medium for DAS data conversion for earthquake early warning.
Zhao Y. H., He P. C., Meng H. R., Luo B.
CN202610765527.6 · Filed 2026-05-29 · Southern University of Science and TechnologyVehicle dynamic weighing system based on the integration of distributed fiber-optic sensing and machine vision.
Zhao Y. H., Meng H. R., He P. C., Song Z. L., Jin G.
CN202610799671.1 · Filed 2026-06-04 · Southern University of Science and TechnologyBridge health monitoring method, system, and terminal based on distributed optical-fiber sensing.
He P. C., Zhao Y. H., Meng H. R., et al.
CN202511267391.8A · CN121430956A · Filed 2025-09-05Aircraft monitoring method and device based on vibration sensors.
He P. C., Meng H. R., et al.
CN202410170006.7A · Filed 2024-02-06Method and device for calculating formation quality factor based on vehicle vibration signals.
He P. C., Meng H. R., Cai X. L., Gu Z., Liu Z. W., Zhou M., Yang C., Han T. J.
CN202410169748.8A · CN118191933A · Filed 2024-02-0607 / WHY I DO THIS
Why I do this
I am a postdoctoral researcher in Geophysics at Colorado School of Mines. My work connects distributed fiber-optic sensing, seismology, geomechanics, scientific computing, and AI to challenges in geothermal energy, infrastructure resilience, transportation, and environmental observation.
My aim is not simply to collect more data. It is to develop trustworthy ways of observing the physical world, explaining what those observations mean, and translating them into knowledge that can improve safety, sustainability, and scientific understanding.
Colorado School of MinesPostdoctoral research in DAS, geothermal monitoring, and reservoir characterization
Southern University of Science and TechnologyPostdoctoral research and intelligent transportation / urban geophysics collaboration
IsTerre, Grenoble, FranceJoint doctoral program in geophysics; interseismic deformation modeling
Peking UniversityPhD in Geophysics; earthquake mechanics and deformation modeling
Peking UniversityBS in Geophysics; mountaineering leadership and field exploration
09 / CONTACT
Let’s build better ways to observe the physical world.
I welcome conversations about research collaboration, industry partnerships, consulting, scientific communication, and future opportunities.