LIU Lihua got her Ph.D of geology in 2008 from Tuebingen University, and with a bachelor of Geochemistry (from Jilin University, former Changchun College of Geology, 1990). She worked in GEOMAR as a research scientist from 2008 to 2010.

Liu is experienced in experimental and numerical simulations of processes related to marine geochemical reactions and mechanical properties in the marine sediments. The research has investigated the distribution of methanogens and iron oxidizing bacteria in reservoir sediments, and identified the formation of authigenic minerals and biomarker signatures of mineral formation, and AOM related to gas hydrates in the SCS. Also developed a mechanical model for fine sand similar to the sediments of the SCS, and evaluated the instability of the sediments induced by gas recovery. The work modelled the fate of methane in marine sediments in the presence of AOM, gas production, gas hydrate saturation and geological factors related to gas hydrate reservoirs and estimated the store capability of carbon in marine sediments. Recently, the investigate focused on the sequestration of carbon under geological formation, especially the depleted gas and oil reservoir, brine layer and the mineral storage.

Selected Publications

1. Yu Cao, Sai Wang, Guangrong Jin, Li Liu, Chuangji Feng, Fatma Yehia, Haiyun Ma, Lihua Liu*, Enhanced silicate weathering during glacial lowstands: new evidence from shelf sediments in the northern South China Sea, Quaternary Science Advances, April, 2025

2. Li Liu, Guangrong Jin, Haiyun Ma, Lihua Liu*, Numerical investigation of the storage efficiency of impure CO2 in faulted sandstone aquifer, Gas Science and Engineering, 139, July, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgsce.2025.205620

3. Lihua Liu*, Matthias Haeckel, Mark Schmidt, Xueting Wu, Xing Xu, Nengyou Wu, Carbon budget of methane seepages in the Haiyang 4 Area in the northern slope of the South China Sea, Gas Science and Engineering, August 2024, 128, 205398, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgsce.2024.205398

4. Yiyun Cao, Guangrong Jin, Xing Xu, Peining Yang, Li Liu, Sanshan Cheng, Zheng Su, Lihua Liu*, Dual sources and consumption of methane in shallow sediments of southern SCS: Insight from porewater composition and numerical modelling, Marine and Petroleum Geology, Sep. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106503

5. Mengyue Zhai, Shengyi Mao, Lihua Liu*, Xueping Chen, etc, Molecular distribution and stable carbon isotopic composition of lipid biomarkers of Shin-Yan-Ny-Hu Mud volcanoes in southwestern Taiwan: Implications for the origin and diagenesis，Marine and Petroleum Geology, 7 January 2023，https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106101

6. Lihua Liu*, Nengyou Wu, Simulation of the advective methane transport and AOM in Shenhu area, the Northern South China Sea, Environmental Earth Sciences, 2014,71:697-707, doi: 10.1007/s12665-013-2471-3

Lihua Liu, Satoshi Endo, Christina Eberhardt, Peter Grathwohl, Torsten C. Schmidt, Partition behaviour of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons between aged coal tar and water, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2009 vol. 28 (8): 1663-1670, doi.org/10.1897/08-276.1

▪ Marine and environmental geology

▪ Experimental and numerical investigation of bioelements

▪ Geological carbon sequestration

1. Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, Guangdong S&T programme, 2020B1111010004, Manufacture and Demo-Application of optical AUV in the deep sea, 1M RMB, July 2020 - June 2023，Principal Investigator

2. Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, Special Fund for Promoting Economic Development, GDOE[2019]A41, Risk assessment study of the gas production from marine gas hydrates, 5M RMB, Jan. 2019 - Dec. 2020, Principal Investigator

3. Helmholtz-CAS JRG, Characterization and Energy Production Strategies of Gas Hydrate Deposits in the Northern South China Sea, 900k RMB, Jan. 2014 - Dec. 2016, Principal Investigator