Mechanical Heterogeneity Research Articles

High-Throughput DNA Tensioner Platform for Interrogating Mechanical Heterogeneity of Single Living Cells.

Cell mechanical forces play fundamental roles in regulating cellular responses to environmental stimulations. The shortcomings of conventional methods, including force resolution and cellular throughput, make them less accessible to mechanical heterogeneity at the single-cell level. Here, a DNA tensioner platform is introduced with high throughput (>10 000 cells per chip) and pN-level resolution. A microfluidic-based cell array is trapped on "hairpin-structured" DNA tensioners that enable transformation of the mechanical information of living cells into fluorescence signals. By using the platform, one can identify enhanced mechanical forces of drug-resistant cells as compared to their drug-sensitive counterparts, and mechanical differences between metastatic tumor cells in pleural effusion and nonmetastatic histiocytes. Further genetic analysis traces two genes, VEGFA and MINK1, that may play deterministic roles in regulating mechanical heterogeneities. In view of the ubiquity of cells' mechanical forces in the extracellular microenvironment (ECM), this platform shows wide potential to establish links of cellular mechanical heterogeneity to genetic heterogeneity.

Matrix Stiffness Potentiates Stemness of Liver Cancer Stem Cells Possibly via the Yes-Associated Protein Signal.

A hepatocellular carcinoma tissue has mechanical heterogeneity, where the stiffness gradually increases from the core to the invasion front. Furthermore, there is evidence that stem cells from liver cancer (LCSCs) preferentially enrich the invasion front, exhibiting the stiffest modulus in the tumor. LCSCs have the features of stem/progenitor cells and play a vital part in liver cancer development. However, whether matrix stiffness affects LCSC stemness remains unclear. Here, we established a three-dimensional hydrogel for culturing LCSCs to simulate the stiffness of the core and the invasion front of a liver cancer tissue. The results showed that a stiffer matrix (72.2 ± 0.90 kPa) significantly potentiated LCSC stemness as compared with a soft matrix (7.7 ± 0.41 kPa). Moreover, Yes-associated protein signaling might mediate this promotion. Together, our findings illustrate the relationship between matrix stiffness and LCSC stemness, which may aid the production of novel treatment approaches against liver cancer.

Geotechnical soil mapping from electrical and mechanical properties: Case study of the Bafoussam urban area, west Cameroon

Preliminary work in civil engineering works often involves the investigation of soil support in order to secure or predict project safety. The objective of this work is to purpose an urban geotechnical soil map combining physical and mechanical behaviour of the soil and its electrical properties. Field work with auger corer allowed collection of samples for analysis. The results of the Atterberg limits and particle size analysis enabled classification of those soils according to HRB as silty or clayey gravels and sands (class A-2-7) and clayey soils (A-7-5). The Casagrande Plasticity Diagram classifies them as At and Lt (very plastic clays and silts) and the GTR classifies them as sandy and gravelly soils with fines (B6) and fine clay soils (A2 and A3). These classifications show that the study area is mainly covered by sandy-clay, lateritic clay and lateritic gravelly soils. The iso-resistivity maps and resistivity sections made from the results of vertical electrical soundings, allow the identification of three ranges of resistivity: a low resistivity less than 300 Ώ.m, a medium resistivity range between 300 and 500 Ώ.m and a high resistivity greater than 500 Ώ.m. These ranges of resistivity correspond to the different formation disparities that make up the subsurface. Associated penetrograms show these soils are very resistive in the cuirass subsurface zones with very compact formations with permissible stress values between 2.5 and 5.2 bars. At greater depths, these values are moderate in the clayey sands with stresses between 0.8 and 3 bars and low in the clays and lateritic soils (˂1 bar). The application of determination coefficient (R2) and Spearman correlation (rs) between permissible stress and true resistivity gives values of 0.79 and 0.74 respectively. There is a good qualitative and quantitative correlation between these two parameters in the study area. The superimposition and comparison of the different results with the geological formations enables development of a geotechnical soil map. This map enables us to understand the lithological and mechanical heterogeneity of the soils during the construction of structures in the urban perimeter of Bafoussam.

Process-induced Mechanical Property Heterogeneity along the Building Direction of Directed Energy Deposited IN718 Thin-walled Parts

Directed energy deposition (DED) makes fabrication of large technological components more achievable; however, the process-induced heterogeneity of mechanical properties restrict reliability in many applications. In this study, the correlation among parameter (lift amount), process (energy density change), and property (mechanical property nonuniformity) in thin-walled part building was investigated. The non-uniform layer accumulation was captured using in-situ imaging, and an effective energy density model was established to interpret the heterogeneous mechanical properties along the building direction of the as-built multi-layer parts. Samples closer to the bottom region of the building direction possessed superior mechanical properties (microhardness, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength), which corresponded to a higher range of absorbed effective energy density compared to the upper regions. Within a certain range, more absorbed energy density may result in superior strength and microhardness of the layers. Deposition regions that were dominated by a relatively large negative defocus could also achieve excellent mechanical properties despite only absorbing relatively low effective energy density.

Numerical study on full-field stress evolution and acoustic emission characteristics of rocks containing three parallel pre-existing flaws under uniaxial compression

A linear parallel bond model combined with Weibull distribution to take into account the mechanical heterogeneity of brittle rocks is used to investigate the cracking behavior, acoustic emission (AE) characteristics and full-field stress evolution of rocks containing three parallel pre-existing flaws under uniaxial compression. The intact model is calibrated to the macro mechanical properties of rocks obtained from laboratory tests. The numerical results indicate that the presence of three parallel pre-existing flaws weakens the mechanical properties of rocks. As the flaw inclination increases, uniaxial compression strength shows a trend of first decreasing and then increasing, and the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio are roughly increasing. The displacement localization zones chronologically formed around pre-existing flaws can interact with each other, and the damage or fracture processes of pre-cracked samples are complicated. And the tensile stress in x direction concentrates around pre-existing flaws. As the flaw inclination increases, the tensile stress concentration area at the end of the pre-existing flaws in the x direction also changes, at the same time, the area of the tensile stress concentration area in the y direction gradually decreases. And AE events with high fracture intensity are located in the macroscopic shear zone or split zone.

Fracture-controlled surfaces as extremely durable ice-shedding materials.

Icing imposes a significant burden on those living in cold climates, with negative impacts on infrastructure, transportation, and energy systems. Over the past few decades, a wide range of materials with ice-shedding characteristics have been developed, including surfaces that are non-wetting/hydrophobic, liquid-infused, stress-localized, and those with low interfacial toughness. Although many of these materials have demonstrated low ice adhesion in a laboratory setting, none have achieved widespread practical adoption. This is primarily a result of the fact that they tend to have very low durability, limiting their applicability. Thus, the primary challenge in developing ice-shedding materials is finding materials with both low ice adhesion AND good durability. Here, we introduce the concept of a so-called "fracture-controlled surface." Through coordinated mechanical and chemical heterogeneity in the material structure, we affect the interfacial crack nucleation and growth on these surfaces. Through this controlled process, fracture-controlled surfaces exhibit both low ice adhesion and very high mechanical durability. Measurements of the durability of these surfaces indicate performance that is three orders of magnitude greater than other state-of-the-art ice-shedding materials. Physically, via mechanical heterogeneity of the material, we pre-specified the crack nucleation coordinates at the interface and guided the crack growth in an interfacial plane, with no kinking in other directions. This helps to maximize the energy that goes towards crack nucleation and growth. A detailed mathematical model is developed to predict adhesion of external solid objects on these materials. The model suggests that an elastic matching criterion is required to achieve minimal adhesion of solid objects on these materials. Fracture-controlled surfaces provide a rich material platform to guide future innovation of materials with minimal adhesion while having very high durability.

Non-monotonic fluidization generated by fluctuating edge tensions in confluent tissues.

In development and homeostasis, multi-cellular systems exhibit spatial and temporal heterogeneity in their biochemical and mechanical properties. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how spatiotemporally heterogeneous forces affect the dynamical and mechanical properties of confluent tissue. To address this question, we study the dynamical behavior of the two-dimensional cellular vertex model for epithelial monolayers in the presence of fluctuating cell-cell interfacial tensions, which is a biologically relevant source of mechanical spatiotemporal heterogeneity. In particular, we investigate the effects of the amplitude and persistence time of fluctuating tension on the tissue dynamics. We unexpectedly find that the long-time diffusion constant describing cell rearrangements depends non-monotonically on the persistence time, while it increases monotonically as the amplitude increases. Our analysis indicates that at low and intermediate persistence times tension fluctuations drive motion of vertices and promote cell rearrangements, while at the highest persistence times the tension in the network evolves so slowly that rearrangements become rare.

Evaluation of the partitioned mechanical properties and the hall-petch relationship of cast aluminum alloy cylinder head

In view of the non-uniform distribution of mechanical properties of cast aluminum alloy cylinder head, the mechanical properties evaluation and microstructure heterogeneity of cylinder head were studied. The results showed that the head plate position of the cylinder head has the best mechanical properties and microstructure characterization, followed by the floor plate and the thick partition plate. The mechanical properties of the floor plate position attenuate with increasing temperature. From 23°C to 300°C, the tensile strength and yield strength decrease in the same range, but the break elongation changes most obviously. The mechanical properties and microstructure characterization of cylinder head in-situ sampling satisfy the Hall-Petch relationship. If the required ultimate tensile strength is not less than 255MPa, the upper threshold of the grain size, by considering the error limit of the Hall-Petch relationship, is 603.4μm, and the upper threshold of secondary dendrite arm spacing is 69.1μm. Meanwhile, established the relationship between hardness and yield strength, the average error of the nonlinear model is 4.35%. The prediction accuracy of the nonlinear model is sufficient to meet the actual needs of the engineering.

Dynamic relaxation characteristics and stress relaxation behavior of Pd-based<sub> </sub>metallic glass

As a potential functional and structural material, high-entropy metallic glasses have aroused tremendous research interest in condense matter physics and mechanics. The correlation between macroscopic mechanic properties and microstructure heterogeneity of high-entropy metallic glasses is one of the most important scientific issues in glassy solids. In the present research, Pd<sub>42.5</sub>Cu<sub>30</sub>Ni<sub>7.5</sub>P<sub>20</sub> metallic glass and Pd<sub>20</sub>Pt<sub>20</sub>Cu<sub>20</sub>Ni<sub>20</sub>P<sub>20</sub> high-entropy metallic glass are selected as the model alloys. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and stress relaxation are used to investigate the influences of temperature and physical aging on dynamic mechanical relaxation process and microstructure heterogeneity of the model alloys. The dynamic mechanical analysis results demonstrate that the Pd<sub>42.5</sub>Cu<sub>30</sub>Ni<sub>7.5</sub>P<sub>20</sub> metallic glass and Pd<sub>20</sub>Pt<sub>20</sub>Cu<sub>20</sub>Ni<sub>20</sub>P<sub>20</sub> high-entropy metallic glass both exhibit evident <i>β</i> relaxation process. In addition, the atomic mobility of model alloys is reduced in these processes, and the <i>β</i> relaxation shifts toward higher temperatures. In the stress relaxation process, the Gibbs free energy is reduced due to the high configurational entropy. This is the potential reason that high-entropy metallic glass possesses higher activation energy. In parallel, high-entropy metallic glass is more difficult to activate and needs to break through a higher energy barrier. With the increase of physical aging time, the flow unit in high-entropy metallic glass becomes smaller. This also benefits from the high-entropy effects that bring sluggish diffusion into high-entropy metallic glass. The change of activation volume under physical aging of high-entropy metallic glass is less sensitive to stress relaxation than that of metallic glass.

From Crystals to Crustal‐Scale Seismic Anisotropy: Bridging the Gap Between Rocks and Seismic Studies With Digital Geologic Map Data in Colorado

AbstractDeep continental crustal structures are enigmatic due to lack of direct exposures and limited tools to investigate them remotely. Seismic waves can sample these rocks, but most seismic methods focus on coarse crustal structures while laboratory measurements concentrate on crystal‐scale rock properties, and little work has been conducted to bridge this interpretation gap. In some places, geologic maps of crystalline basement provide samples of the intermediate‐scale fabrics and structures that may represent in situ deep crust. However, previous research has not considered natural geometric variations from map data, nor is this heterogeneity typically included in map‐scale seismic property calculations. Here, we test how map‐scale fabrics influence crustal seismic anisotropy in Colorado by analyzing structural data from geologic maps, combining those data with bulk rock elastic tensors to calculate map‐scale seismic properties, and evaluating the resulting comparisons with observed receiver function A1 (360° periodic) arrivals. Crystalline fabrics, predicted seismic properties, and tectonic structures positively correlate with shallow and deep crustal A1 arrivals. Additionally, widespread correlations occur between mapped fault traces and regional foliations, implying that preexisting mechanical heterogeneity may have strongly influenced subsequent reactivation. We interpret that various mapped geologic contact types (e.g., lithologic and structural) generate A1 arrivals and that multiple parallel features (e.g., faults, foliations, and intrusions) contribute to a seismically visible tectonic grain. Therefore, Colorado's exhumed basement, as expressed in outcrops and maps, offers insight into modern deep crustal geological and geophysical structure.

Low neutron cross-section FeCrVTiNi based high-entropy alloys: design, additive manufacturing and characterization

The development of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) based on the novel alloying concept of multi-principal components presents opportunities for achieving new materials with desired properties for increasingly demanding applications. In this study, a low neutron cross-section FeCrVTiNi-based HEA was developed for potential nuclear applications. A face-centred cubic (FCC) HEA with the nominal composition of FeCr0.4V0.3Ti0.2Ni1.3 is proposed based on the empirical thermodynamic models and the CALculation of PHAse diagrams (CALPHAD) calculation. Verifications of the predictions were performed, including the additive manufacturing of the proposal material and a range of microstructural characterizations and mechanical property tests. Consistent with the prediction, the as-fabricated HEA consists of a dominant FCC phase and minor Ni3Ti precipitates. Moreover, significant chemical segregation in the alloy, as predicted by the CALPHAD modelling, was observed experimentally in the produced dendritic microstructure showing the enrichment of Ni and Ti elements in the interdendritic regions and the segregation of Cr and V elements in the dendritic cores. Heterogenous mechanical properties, including microhardness and tensile strengths, were observed along the building direction of the additively manufactured HEA. The various solid solution strengthening effects, due to the chemical segregation (in particular Cr and V elements) during solidification, are identified as significant contributing factors to the observed mechanical heterogeneity. Our study provides useful knowledge for the design and additive manufacturing of compositionally complex HEAs and their composition-microstructure-mechanical property correlation.

Cracking Behavior and Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Rock Containing a Single Preexisting Flaw

The existence of flaws in brittle rocks or rock-like materials has an obvious influence on the material mechanical properties and cracking behavior of civil engineering projects. In this work, the two-dimensional particle flow code PFC2D was used to study the deformation and strength properties, failure processes, and acoustic emission (AE) characteristics of mudstone with a single preexisting flaw. First, the procedure to construct a parallel bond model is introduced. The Weibull distribution is used to reflect the mechanical heterogeneity of rocks. Then, the microscopic parameters used in PFC2D are calibrated to the macroproperties of mudstone obtained from laboratory tests under the uniaxial compression. The results indicate that the increases of the flaw inclination lead to the increasing uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus. In terms of microcrack evolution, the initiation, propagation, and coalescence of microcracks are closely related to the force chain. Specifically, an “X” shaped tension force chain concentrated area around the preexisting flaw is founded, which is the most prone area for microcracks to initiate. With an increase in flaw inclination, the b value of AE also shows an increasing trend. By incorporating the AE event numbers into a damage variable, this paper derives a constitutive model, which is verified by numerical results on brittle rocks with a single preexisting flaw under uniaxial compression.

Impact of geomechanical heterogeneity on multiple hydraulic fracture propagation

Abstract To extract more gas from shale gas reservoirs, the spacing among hydraulic fractures should be made smaller, resulting in a significant stress shadow effect. Most studies regarding the stress shadow effect are based on the assumption of homogeneity in rock properties. However, strong heterogeneity has been observed in shale reservoirs, and the results obtained with homogeneous models can be different from practical situations. A series of case studies have been conducted in this work to understand the effects of mechanical heterogeneity on multiple fracture propagation. Fracture propagation was simulated using the extended finite element method. A sequential Gaussian simulation was performed to generate a heterogeneous distribution of geomechanical properties. According to the simulation results, the difficulty of fracture propagation is negatively correlated with the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio, and positively correlated with tensile strength. When each of the multiple fractures propagates in a homogeneous area with different mechanical properties, the final geometry of the fracture is similar to homogeneous conditions. When the rock parameter is a random field or heterogeneity perpendicular to the propagation direction of fracture, the fracture will no longer take the wellbore as the center of symmetry. Based on the analysis of fracture propagation in random fields, a small variance of elastic parameters can result in asymmetrical propagation of multiple fractures. Moreover, the asymmetrical propagation of hydraulic fractures is more sensitive to the heterogeneity of Poisson's ratio than Young's modulus. This study emphasises the importance of considering geomechanical heterogeneity and provides some meaningful suggestions regarding hydraulic fracturing designs.

A link between mechanical heterogeneity and nontrivial local structural power-law response in a model metallic glass

The structural heterogeneity and mechanical inhomogeneity of metallic glasses at the nanoscale have been demonstrated by extensive experimental investigations, while their inherent correlation remains ambiguous. Based on elasticity theory, a model is developed to describe the local structural response of metallic glasses under hydrostatic deformation. We establish a linear relationship between the local bulk modulus and the nontrivial power-law exponent of the structural response and further verify this relationship by molecular dynamics simulations. The intrinsic link between the local structural response and elastic modulus reveals that the mechanical heterogeneity reflects not only the static atomic packing but also the dynamic evolution of the amorphous structure. Our findings provide direct evidence that mechanical heterogeneity is a feasible indicator for describing the structural heterogeneity of metallic glasses and shed some light on the non-cubic structural power law of disordered materials.

Technological features of the production of welded beds from prefabricated base parts

The work is devoted to the problem of fatigue strength of welded-cast joints as applied to the operating conditions of body parts of machines. Such operating conditions are characterized by non-uniformity of intensity and concentration of the load on parts and assemblies during the operation of the equipment. This heterogeneity of the load actualizes production of precisely welded-cast base parts for metalworking equipment beds. This is of considerable technological and economic interest. The aim of the work is to study the strength of welded-cast bearing structures in relation to the work of beds of heavy lathes. Unalloyed medium-carbon structural steel 35L and steel of ordinary quality MCT3 in the form of rolled products were used as the main materials for research. The research methods are presented. The study of the structure and properties of the welded joint made it possible to assess the technical feasibility of using the studied metals in the manufacture of welded-cast bearing structures. It has been established that welding of steel castings with rolled steel causes significant structural and mechanical heterogeneity. The influence of processing technology on the nature of formation of the structure of welded-cast joints is presented. The influence of heat treatment on the value of the hardness of the welded seam and the heat-affected zone was investigated. The study of the fatigue resistance of welded-cast specimens was carried out in relation to the operating conditions of joints undergoing vibration loads at normal temperatures, which can be classified as fatigue with a symmetric load cycle. It was found that the use of heat treatment of welded-cast specimens significantly reduces the mechanical heterogeneity of the joint along the seam and the heat-affected zone. Based on the results of studying mechanical characteristics, the choice of technology for the production of welded-cast joints is justified.

The interplay between cm- and m-scale geological and geomechanical heterogeneity in organic-rich mudstones: Implications for reservoir characterization of unconventional shale plays

In this study, the vertical and lateral geological and geomechanical heterogeneity of the Duvernay shale play of Western-Central Alberta (Canada) is investigated at two different scales (meter and centimeter) using an outcrop-based approach. Twenty-five hand samples from the Duvernay outcrop-equivalent Perdrix Formation were collected along one vertical stratigraphic section and analyzed for elemental composition and mechanical hardness. Data points were acquired at every node of a 1cm x 1cm grid built on the cut face of each sample. Results show that significant compositional and mechanical heterogeneity is present both when comparing different rock samples and when considering all the measurements taken within the same rock sample. Our study shows that intra-sample variation in chemical composition may exceed 20% on a relative basis, and intra-sample variation in mechanical hardness may exceed 50% on a relative basis. Multi-variate statistical models show that a positive relationship is observed between mechanical hardness and XRF Calcium content (carbonate proxy), while a negative relationship is observed between mechanical hardness and XRF Aluminum content (clay proxy). Our analysis shows that heterogeneity in the Perdrix Formation is facies-dependent: mudstones that are relatively lean in Calcium but rich in Silicon and Aluminum have up to twice the compositional and mechanical heterogeneity of facies that are relatively rich in Calcium and poor in in Silicon and Aluminum. Based on the analyzed data and published literature, we support the hypothesis that by decreasing the scale of investigation we increase the magnitude of heterogeneity that can be resolved when measuring organic-rich mudstone composition and mechanical hardness. This understanding can be applied to improve 3-D subsurface models, where upscaling often oversimplifies the reservoir and is unable to adequately resolve reservoir heterogeneity and its influence on reservoir potential and behaviour when undergoing hydraulic fracturing treatment.

Characterizing Tissue Remodeling and Mechanical Heterogeneity in Cerebral Aneurysms

Accurately assessing the complex tissue mechanics of cerebral aneurysms (CAs) is critical for elucidating how CAs grow and whether that growth will lead to rupture. The factors that have been implicated in CA progression – blood flow dynamics, immune infiltration, and extracellular matrix remodeling – all occur heterogeneously throughout the CA. Thus, it stands to reason that the mechanical properties of CAs are also spatially heterogeneous. Here, we present a new method for characterizing the mechanical heterogeneity of human CAs using generalized anisotropic inverse mechanics, which uses biaxial stretching experiments and inverse analyses to determine the local Kelvin moduli and principal alignments within the tissue. Using this approach, we find that there is significant mechanical heterogeneity within a single acquired human CA. These results were confirmed using second harmonic generation imaging of the CA’s fiber architecture and a correlation was observed. This approach provides a single-step method for determining the complex heterogeneous mechanics of CAs, which has important implications for future identification of metrics that can improve accuracy in prediction risk of rupture.

Evolving contact mechanics and microstructure formation dynamics of the lithium metal-Li7La3Zr2O12 interface

The dynamic behavior of the interface between the lithium metal electrode and a solid-state electrolyte plays a critical role in all-solid-state battery performance. The evolution of this interface throughout cycling involves multiscale mechanical and chemical heterogeneity at the micro- and nano-scale. These features are dependent on operating conditions such as current density and stack pressure. Here we report the coupling of operando acoustic transmission measurements with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging to correlate changes in interfacial mechanics (such as contact loss and crack formation) with the growth of lithium microstructures during cell cycling. Together, the techniques reveal the chemo-mechanical behavior that governs lithium metal and Li7La3Zr2O12 interfacial dynamics at various stack pressure regimes and with voltage polarization.

Influence of the welding parameters on the weld metal mechanical heterogeneity of EP517 (Fe12Cr2NiMoWVNb) steel and 36NKhTYu (Fe36Ni12Cr3TiAl) alloy dissimilar welded joints

The article presents the results of assessing the effect of the welding speed and the displacement of the electron beam relative to the joint on the mechanical heterogeneity of the weld metal of dissimilar welded joints of EP517 (Fe12Cr2NiMoWVNb) steel and 36NKhTYu (Fe36Ni12Cr3TiAl) alloy. Aging curves are plotted for the weld metal of welded joints made at electron beam welding (EBW) speeds of 30 m/h and 120 m/h, as well as for the weld metal of the welded joint made at a speed of 30 m/h with various electron beam displacements. An assessment of the change in the mechanical heterogeneity of the weld metal was carried out by the change in the standard deviation of the hardness values, and metallographic studies were also carried out. It was found that a decrease in the EBW speed leads to a decrease in the standard deviation of the results of measuring the hardness of the weld metal after aging from 45 to 14 HV5 or from 18% to 6%. It was also found that an increase in the displacement of the electron beam to alloy 36NKhTYu (Fe36Ni12Cr3TiAl) to 60% leads to an increase in the hardness of the weld metal from 225 to 305 HV5 (by 35%).

Minimum Detectable Mass and Volume Fluxes During Magmatic Recharge at High Prominence Volcanoes: An Application to Erciyes Dağ Volcano (Turkey)

Magma reservoir recharge is widely recognised as a precursor of eruptive activity. However, the causative relationships between reservoir rejuvenation and surface observables such as gravitational potential field changes and ground deformation are still poorly understood. At intermediate and silicic intra-plate volcanoes where crustal mechanical heterogeneity combined with high-prominence are expected to fundamentally affect the crustal stress and strain relationship, protracted period of repose and absence of monitoring data raise questions about the detectability of magma recharge. Here we report results from integrated geodetic forward modelling of ground displacements and gravity changes from reservoir recharge at Erciyes Dağ, a large prominence (∼2,800 m), yet poorly studied, stratovolcano of the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province in Turkey. The most recent eruption at ∼7000 BC, close proximity to the Kayseri Metropolitan Area and absence of dedicated volcano monitoring set a precedent to explore stealth magmatic processes at the volcano. Using finite element analysis we systematically explore the influence of subsurface mechanical heterogeneities and topography on surface deformation and gravity changes from magmatic recharge of Erciyes Dağ’s reservoir. We show that whilst crustal heterogeneity amplifies ground displacements and gravity variations, the volcano’s substantial prominence has the opposite effect. For generic reservoir pressure and density changes of 10 MPa and 10 kg m−3 predicted vertical displacements vary by a factor of 5 while residual gravity changes vary by a factor of 12 between models ignoring topography or mechanical heterogeneity and those that do not. We deduce reservoir volume and mass changes of order 10–3 km3 and 1010 kg, respectively, at the detectability limit of conventional surveying techniques at the volcano. Though dependent on model assumptions, all results indicate that magma recharge at Erciyes Dağ may go undetected at fluxes 1) sufficient to maintain an active reservoir containing eruptable magma and 2) similar to those reported for intermediate/silicic volcanoes with repose times of 100–1,000s of years (e.g., Parinacota) and persistently active mafic volcanoes such as Mt. Etna and Stromboli. Our findings may be utilised to inform integrated geodetic and gravimetric monitoring at Erciyes Dağ and other large prominence silicic volcanoes and could provide early insights into reservoir rejuvenation with implications for the development of disaster risk reduction initiatives.