Biruk Abera Cherkose (Ph.D.)

About my current research

My research focuses on using electromagnetic geophysics to understand geologic hydrogen systems, with particular emphasis on serpentinization, electrical anisotropy, and magnetotelluric (MT) methods. Geologic hydrogen can be produced when water reacts with Fe-rich ultramafic rocks, but the key challenge is identifying where these reactions occur, how fluids move through the system, and whether the subsurface architecture favors hydrogen generation and migration.

A central idea in my work is that serpentinization is not simply a uniform alteration process. It is commonly organized by veins, fractures, mineral replacement fronts, permeability pathways, and reaction zones. These features can produce directional physical-property changes, including electrical anisotropy. I investigate whether it can be used as a geophysical signal of organized reaction and transport pathways in ultramafic rocks.

In my recent work, I am using the MT phase tensor analysis to detect and characterize directional electrical signatures in the ultramafic rocks, which are potential source. The phase tensor is useful because it captures the phase relationship of the MT impedance tensor and is less sensitive to some forms of near-surface galvanic distortion. In my research, phase tensor ellipses, phase splits, principal directions, and spatial coherence are used to evaluate whether observed MT responses may be related to anisotropic serpentinization fabrics.

An important part of this work is distinguishing anisotropy from lateral conductivity variations. Phase tensor splitting alone is not unique to anisotropy, because 2-D and 3-D conductivity structures can produce similar tensor behavior. To address this ambiguity, we combine phase tensor analysis with MT tipper responses. This is because the tipper is sensitive to lateral variations and less sensitive to the anisotropic effects, therefore the tipper and the phase tensor helps in isolating the anisotropic signatures in the Geologic H2 system. We look for consistent phase tensor splitting across multiple stations together with weak or near-zero tipper responses to support an anisotropic interpretation.

My broader goal is to tools for mapping reaction and migration pathway architecture in both natural and stimulated geologic hydrogen systems. This includes identifying conductive and anisotropic zones associated with serpentinization, understanding the geometry of fluid pathways, and improving the geophysical basis for targeting, drilling, and monitoring hydrogen-related subsurface systems.

Recent publications related to the Geologic Hydrogen projects at the CGEM

• Cherkose, B. A., Zhang, Z., Li, Y. (2026). Detecting Serpentinization Related Electrical Anisotropy Using Magnetotelluric Phase Tensors: Application in Geologic Hydrogen Exploration, Journal of Geophysics and Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1093/jge/gxag023

• Cherkose, B.A., Zhang, M. & Li, Y. (2026). Finding geologic hydrogen generation in UAE ophiolites: insights from MT phase tensor mapping of serpentinization. Discov Appl Sci, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-026-08490-8

• Cherkose, B. A, Zhang, M., Li., Y. A (2025). Geologic hydrogen investigation using magnetotelluric phase tensors: Case study from the UAE Ophiolite blocks, IMAGE Conference 25-28 August 2025, George R. Brown Convention Center Houston, Texas, USA.

  Zhang, M., Cherkose, B. A., Li., Y. (2025). Predicting potential geologic hydrogen reservoir locations using MT and seismic data, IMAGE Conference 25-28 August 2025, George R. Brown Convention Center Houston, Texas, USA.

Invited Talks

• Denver Geophysical Society, May 14 DGS Luncheon

• https://denvergeo.org/events/may-14th-dgs-luncheon-dr-biruk-cherkose-mapping-serpentinization-in-geologic-hydrogen-systems-using-magnetotelluric-phase-tensor/

‍Google Scholar: Biruk Abera Cherkose (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bbsw1aYAAAAJ&hl=en)

LinkedIn: Biruk Abera Cherkose (https://www.linkedin.com/in/biruk-abera-cherkose-78581a86/)