Open call for PhD positions for cohort 2

For general information, please contact Beth Kahle (uplift-applications.iapg(at)ed.tum.de).

Please submit your application by 30^th of Nov. 2024 to uplift-applications.iapg(at)ed.tum.de.

How you should apply you can find in this pdf document.

Details for the future projects for cohort 2 are listed below:

 

P1: Integrated contemporary horizontal and vertical velocity field of the Basin-and-Range province and adjacent regions using GNSS (GPS) and InSAR

To detect active processes related to flow in the sub-lithospheric mantle, precise and accurate measurements over a large area are necessary. The ideal test case is the Basin-and-Range province in western North America, an area that is extending at about 1.5 cm/yr over a distance of around 800 km. The density of continuously recording GNSS stations is high and InSAR data are available for the region, which should allow for interpolation between the GNSS stations. Also, access to and availability of supporting geological and geophysical data for this region are excellent, given the recent EARTHSCOPE and Plate Boundary Observatory data acquisition and maintenance facilities (UNAVCO/IRIS).  The purpose of this project is to investigate whether surface motions expected from geophysical models and geological observations can be extracted from the velocity field determined for GNSS stations in a dense network, with interpolation from InSAR, thus separating mantle signals from uplift signals from other geophysical sources.

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Prof. Urs Hugentobler (urs.hugentobler(at)tum.de)

P2: Signal separation of temporal gravity signals for constraining geodynamic models and landscape evolution models

This project focuses on the development of methodologies for signal separation. Very promising results have already been achieved with the machine-learning based U-net code for separating signals with different space and time behaviour, including in comparison with classical separation methods. However, it turns out that the settings of U-Net are very sensitive to the specific separation problem. This is especially true for the separation of low-amplitude mantle signals. Based on the previous development of methods and related algorithms, the first task of this project is to improve the methodology further and to adapt it to the specific signal separation problem. Up to now the system has been developed in a synthetic environment and on a global scale. In this project it will also be tailored regionally and run with real data from GRACE/GRACE-FO, as well as synthetic data of the next-generation MAGIC constellation.  In an extended sensitivity analysis, these gravimetric products including realistic uncertainty information shall be applied to validate predictions of geodynamic and landscape evolution models.

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Prof. Roland Pail (roland.pail(at)tum.de)

P3: Relating magnetic anisotropy to uplift through modern-day case studies

In order to better understand the magnetic properties of ancient fluvio-lacustrine sediments, we are seeking a motivated PhD student to carry out analogue studies in modern-day river systems related to the Yellowstone hotspot. In particular, we aim to discern how magnetic remanence and magnetic anisotropy are recorded as a function of different flow regimes, sediment types, etc. Moreover, we wish to track changes in magnetic mineralogy as a function of distance from the hotspot. This topic requires someone able to perform fieldwork in remote localities; possession of a driver’s license is necessary. 

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Prof. Stuart Gilder (gilder(at)lmu.de)

P4: Testing mantle convection models using continent-scale geological records

Global mantle convection models that aim to understand the causes of vertical motion of the Earth’s surface require validation through independent data. Contrary to popular belief, sufficient data exist at the necessary temporal and spatial scales. We have mapped hiatal surfaces across all continents since the break-up of Pangea. The next step is to categorize these surfaces, along with their conformable counterparts, into either plate or plume mode—or both. This will be achieved through event-based stratigraphic mapping, a method developed by the project PI, integrating existing and new geological data to refine the interpretation of polygonal volumes. These data include patterns of volcanism, diking, faulting, erosion, sedimentation, as well as provenance, and fluid flow. We will focus on two of the most recent plume-plate events: the Columbia River flood basalt and the Iceland Plume, both of which impact accessible continental crust.

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Prof. Anke Friedrich (friedrich(at)lmu.de)

P5: Strategies for including resolution and uncertainty information from seismic tomography in geodynamic Earth models

Modern geodynamic inverse simulations are a powerful tool to elucidate the history of mantle flow, but information from seismology and mineral physics is required to provide quantitative estimates of the buoyancy forces that drive the tectonic plates as well as vertical motions of Earth’s surface. Seismic tomography has seen great progress in the last decades based on methodological advancements and better data coverage, yielding images of the present-day mantle structure at unprecedented detail. However, the biggest challenge today is that the magnitudes of heterogeneity are still not well constrained and different choices can be made in the seismic inversions as well as when estimating the buoyancy field of the mantle with thermodynamic mineralogical models. A better characterization of the present-day buoyancy field is of fundamental importance in the context of UPLIFT.  Our systematic quantification of tomographic effects on geodynamic inverse models, which we base on the SOLA tomographic framework, will provide important understanding on the propagation and evolution of errors in retrodictions of past mantle flow, all the way from the seismic recordings to geologically assessable predictions. This is of fundamental importance to draw robust conclusions on the adequateness of model parameters. Project P5 will thus impact the future geodynamic simulations in UPLIFT and the way the next generation of data-driven Earth models will be constructed that provide quantitative information to the other geoscience disciplines.

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Dr. Bernhard Schuberth (bernhard.schuberth(at)lmu.de)

P6: Constraining geodynamic models by geodetic and geological information

The geoid is one of the most important predictions arising from global Earth modelling: as an equipotential surface that coincides with sea-level it is highly sensitive to the distribution of masses within the Earth.  In this project, we shall evaluate how the observed geoid signal (static), as well as geoid trends can be used to validate and constrain geodynamic model outputs.  To achieve this, we will use high-resolution global Earth models, performed at the scale of exa-level computing.  

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Prof. Hans-Peter Bunge (bunge(at)lmu.de)

P7: A novel multilayer, non-diffusive landscape evolution model linked to geodynamic and geodetic signals discriminating plate and plume mode

We have developed a novel numerical landscape evolution model called TTLEM-3D-Ma: for the first time, our model is capable of producing long-lasting escarpment and drainage effects/reversal corresponding to Ma-scale uplift history.  In the 2nd phase of the project, in close cooperation with the geomagnetics group we will further develop our novel TTLEM-3D-Ma model, link it to geodetic and geodynamic models, apply it to plumes on a large scale of 10²-10³km, and validate it against patterns of geomagnetic erosion and sedimentation data:  (i) To develop the geodynamic interface over the last 100 million years, we will test our novel TTLEM-3D on the example of the North American plume with the patterns of landscape evolution in the Yellowstone region and radiating rivers; (ii) The erosion and sedimentation patterns will be compared with high-resolution magnetic data  collected in North America corresponding to domal uplift; (iii) In addition, to develop a better geodetic interface, the model will be linked to geodetic measurements in North America to better constrain the recent scales of lithospheric uplift. Thus, we shall scale up the model to reproduce geomagnetically well-constrained 100 Ma uplift history of North-America as a Benchmark for long-term uplift-driven landscape evolution. 

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Prof. Michael Krautblatter (m.krautblatter(at)tum.de)

P8:  Analysis of Space-Time Patterns of Active Faulting in Intraplate Settings Affected by Plate- and Plume-Mode Mantle Convection 

Sub-lithospheric flow generates significant stresses at the base of the lithosphere. The crust responds to stresses through deformation—primarily manifested as faulting in the brittle upper crust and ductile deformation in deeper layers. These processes lead to complex space-time patterns of faulting at the Earth's surface. While contemporary deformation fields can be measured with high precision using space-geodetic techniques, these short-term measurements cannot uniquely resolve the deeper sources of deformation. For this reason, it is essential to study the behaviour of fault systems across broader spatial and temporal scales to better understand the underlying tectonic processes and their interactions. To investigate these interactions in depth, this PhD project will focus on specific case studies, particularly the northern Basin-and-Range province in western North America and the region surrounding the Bohemian Massif in Central Europe. These areas exhibit distinct evidence of extensional and compressional tectonics, respectively, making them ideal for studying the effects of sub-lithospheric flow on crustal deformation. In this project, we will acquire remote sensing data (ground-based, aerial, and satellite), field measurements (such as structural mapping and fault geometry analysis), and ages of faulting via geochronology (e.g., U-Pb dating of calcite fibers, Ar-Ar thermochronology, K-Ar dating of fault-related clays). The goal is to reconstruct a detailed kinematic history of selected fault systems. This history will be compared with space-geodetic velocity fields and outputs from geodynamic models that simulate stresses imposed by mantle convection and lithospheric processes. By integrating these datasets, the project aims to provide new insights into how crustal fault systems evolve in response to mantle dynamics. 

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Prof. Anke Friedrich (friedrich(at)lmu.de)

P9:  Model adequacy under uncertainty

While there has been a major effort in seismology to increase the resolution of seismic images, the focus is now shifting towards also providing formal means to quantify model uncertainty (i.e., the resolution and covariance matrices, respectively). In this doctoral project we will estimate the various sources of uncertainties and their effect on the state estimate for Earth’s mantle that enters the *geodynamic inverse models*. This can be achieved, for example, through *closed-loop* experiments. Starting from *mantle circulation models* that provide synthetic estimates of ‘true’ mantle structure, synthetic seismic data is predicted that is subsequently projected back to the (tomographic) model space. This provides the means to quantify differences of initial ‘true’ and retrodicted models while also tracking the evolution of associated precision and accuracy back in time into the geologic past. A systematic uncertainty quantification, from the seismic recordings to geologically assessable predictions, will provide important understanding on the propagation and evolution of errors in geodynamic retrodictions.

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Prof. Barbara Wohlmuth (wohlmuth(at)tum.de)

P10: Interactive visualisation of complex Earth models

One of the great challenges of high performance computing in the Earth Sciences is the visualization of complex structural and flow systems, both for scientists engaged in research – allowing them to visualize their outputs – and also for the general public.  We shall investigate methodical approaches to balance the sometimes competing requirements for interactivity of visualization applications with level of details of the datasets.  Part of this project will involve the use state of the art virtual reality technology, such as the CAVE installation of the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre.

For further information on this project please contact the corresponding principal investigator: Prof. Dieter Kranzlmüller (kranzlmueller(at)ifi.lmu.de)