Open Ph.D. position volcanology/petrology
From: Laurent Michon <laurent.michon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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Open PhD position (three years)
Title: Assessment of volcanic hazard at La Réunion Island related to rift-zone activity
Host labs: Université de La Réunion (France), IPGP/OVPF (France) and INGV-Palermo (Italy)
Piton de la Fournaise and Piton des Neiges are two up-to-3-km-high volcanoes forming the emerged part of La Réunion Island. Piton de la Fournaise is dominantly basaltic and effusive, with an average rate of 1 eruption every 9 months. On the other hand, many recent eruptions of Piton des Neiges had explosive dynamics and emitted evolved magmas (up to trachytes). Tens of scoria cones are scattered on and between the two main volcanoes and are distributed along a dominant N120 direction. The study will focus on the timing of emplacement and the geochemistry of these scoria cones and on the link between this magmatic activity and the summit activity of the two main volcanoes.
The PhD student will perform mapping and quantification of the recent (possibly < 50 kyrs) volcanic activity scattered along the N120 rift zone cutting La Réunion Island by integrating volcanological, geochemical, and tectonic datasets.
Still-active lineaments will be identified by cross-correlating mapping of CO2 release from the soil and recorded seismicity. Statistical data analysis will permit the identification of background CO2 flux, specific thresholds and finally the probable spatial extension of the degassing structure to quantify the total CO2 output and the uncertainty of the estimation. Isotopic fluid analysis and geochemical modelling will constrain the origin of released fluids. Melt and fluid inclusion study, coupled with magma degassing modelling, will be performed on mineral samples separated from rocks that are representative of the compositional variability of recent basalts emitted along the N120 rift. This will allow assessing the link between surface degassing and the deep magma plumbing system. The age distribution of cones and their correlation with recent activity (gas release; seismicity) will be interpreted in the frame of regional and local tectonic lineaments.
Dead line for application: June 13 2014; Expected start date: October 1st 2014
Full application includes: i) CV (1-2 pages), ii) two support letters: one of the supervisor of the master thesis and the second of the director of the doctoral school, iii) brief description of the master thesis, iv) defense date of the master thesis.
Contact: Laurent Michon (lmichon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Andrea Di Muro (dimuro@xxxxxxx)Volcano Listserv is a collaborative venture among Arizona State University (ASU), Portland State University (PSU), the Global Volcanism Program (GVP) of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, and the International Association for Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI).
ASU - http://www.asu.edu/ PSU - http://pdx.edu/ GVP - http://www.volcano.si.edu/ IAVCEI - http://www.iavcei.org/
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