PhD position in petrology and geochemistry of high-ultrahigh pressure rocks and fluids
Main host institution: Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Ambiente e Vita, Università di Genova, Italy
Secondment Institutions: University of Bern; Deutsches GeoForschungs Zentrum, Potsdam
The Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Genova seeks to appoint a PhD student for a research project in petrology and geochemistry of high-pressure rocks and fluids. The successful applicant will work in a multi-disciplinary environment in close collaboration with Profs. Marco Scambelluri, Klaus Mezger and Sonia Tonarini.
The ESRs will work on plate interface examples exposed in high- and ultrahigh-pressure mountain belts and determine the petrological/geochemical features of rocks and of fluid-related structures. Main objects are oceanic crust, serpentinized upper plate mantle and continental materials of the Alps evolved along a fossil plate interface. These will be compared with occurrences from other settings.
Methods: Field mapping; petrology/geochemistry of rocks/minerals; stable (O, H, Li, B) and radiogenic (Sr, Pb) isotope analyses coupled with new geochemical tracers (As, Sb); modelling of fluid/rock exchange.
Goals: Defining petrological and geochemical identity of plate interface settings, assessing rock diversity and paths, fluid-rock interactions and mass transfer from micro- to mega-scales along the plate interface.
Candidates must hold an MSc in Earth Sciences or a closely related discipline. Experience in petrology, geochemistry, structural geology is highly advantageous
Genova is a livable city on the NW coast of Italy. During the PhD, the candidate will collaborate with M. Scambelluri (Genova) for the petrology and structure of high-P rocks, will work with S. Tonarini (isotope laboratories in Pisa), and will collaborate with K. Mezger, S. Angiboust, A. Garcia Casco in the secondment Institutions.
For further information contact Profs. M. Scambelluri (marco.scambelluri@dipteris.unige.it) and K. Mezger (klaus.mezger@geo.unibe.ch)
Expected starting date: between January and May 2014.
Deadline for application: November 13th, 2013.