Regular biography
Dr Neelima Kandula is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of PHY at The Australian National University. Her research focuses on the dynamics of microscale precursors during brittle compressive failure in rocks, with a particular emphasis on strain localization and fracture coalescence. Dr Kandula's work includes studies on system-size failure in porous reservoir rocks and volumetric and shear processes in crystalline rock approaching faulting. She has contributed to several high-impact publications in journals such as the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Scholar-generated biography
Neelima Kandula is a Research Fellow at The Australian National University, specializing in geomechanics, fragmentation, and the use of X-ray microtomography to study granular media. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of rock failure, including strain localization, fracture coalescence, and the dynamics of microscale precursors leading to faulting. Through advanced imaging techniques such as dynamic in situ X-ray tomography and synchrotron-based 4D imaging, she investigates the evolution of damage and the factors governing fracture propagation in crystalline and porous rocks. Her work also explores the role of strength anisotropy and heterogeneity in controlling energy budgets and stress-strain behavior during brittle failure.