PhD position in Experimental Geosciences

Marie-Curie Initial Training Network ABYSS (ESR8)

Training network on reactive geological systems from the mantle to the abyssal sub-seafloor

Host institution: Géosciences Montpellier (CNRS, France) / Secondment institutions: Geoscience Department, University of Bremen (Germany), Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC-University of Granada (Spain), University of Oslo (Norway), Statoil (Norway).

Géosciences Montpellier seeks to appoint a PhD student for a research project investigating experimentally hydrothermal fluxes at ridges, with a focus on serpentinization processes and H2 / CO2 exchanges. Experiments will be carried out mainly on the percolation benches recently developed at the ICARE laboratory (Montpellier), that allow to reproduce thermodynamic and physical conditions analogous to those typical of ultramafic hydrothermal systems (low fluid fluxes, temperatures up to 400°C). The trainee will work in a multidisciplinary and international environment in close collaboration with W. Bach (U. Bremen), C. Garrido (IACT, Granada), B. Jamtveit and H. Austrheim (U. of Oslo).

Methods: Reactive percolation laboratory experiments at P 20-40MPa & T 150-350°C on olivine, peridotites and serpentinites; Chemical and mineralogical characterization of reaction products and chemistry of outlet fluids (including C); Thermodynamic modelling.

Goals: Investigate the feed-back effects between hydration reactions and hydrodynamic properties; Characterize their impact on the effective reactivity and sustainability of the system, on hydrogen production and carbon budget.

Requirements: Candidates must hold an MSc in Earth Sciences or a closely related discipline. (S)he must have experience in petrology/mineralogy or in micro-analytical techniques or hydrodynamic in porous media. A strong interest for lab work is required. Solid grounds in physical sciences and/or fluid chemistry are welcome.

This fellowship is for a period of 36 months starting no later than November 1, 2014.

For further information, contact: Marguerite Godard (Marguerite.Godard@um2.fr).

This position has been filled