Research fellow (postdoctoral) - S wave velocities and anisotropy of
an accretionary complex offshore Japan.
Earth Sciences, University of Birmingham, has NERC funding
from the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Special Topic for an 18-month
full-time postdoctoral fellowship. The project is to investigate
S-wave velocities and anisotropy of the Nankai accretionary complex,
offshore Japan, in order to propose seismic stress-monitoring
experiments for the SEIZE (Drilling the Seismogenic Zone) project of
the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP).
The job involves inverting S-wave gravel times from JAMSTEC (Japan
Marine Science and Technology Authority) airgun-to-ocean bottom
seismometer experiments on the Nankai complex offshore Shikoku, and
processing and modelling the waveforms with anisotropic models. The
resulting velocities and anisotropy measures will then have to be
interpreted in terms of effective stress, porosity and pore and grain
alignment. The project is a primer for future research proposals: (a)
acquisition of marine seismic data to verify the project findings and
(b) a drilling proposal for a stress monitoring site for the IODP
SEIZE project, using crosshole S-wave propagation to look for changes
in microcrack geometry caused by stress changes preceding the major
earthquake expected at Nankai.
Earth Sciences, part of the School of Geography, Earth and
Environmental Sciences, has a long record of research into oceanic
accretionary complexes and convergent margins. Staff have been
involved in ODP legs to Barbados and Japan and marine seismic projects
at the Mediterranean Ridge, Barbados and Colombia. Research has
centred on seismic investigation of porosity evolution, fluid flow
processes and the distribution of gas hydrate, as well as crack, pore
and grain alignment, within the sediments involved in plate
convergence at oceanic trenches.
Research facilities include a Sun Unix system for seismic data
processing, and PC-based seismic interpretation software. Seismic
Un*x, Zelt traveltime inversion, the Hampson-Russell AVO package and
Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) are the main tools for processing, while
the Kingdom suite is available for interpretation. Anisotropic
modelling is carried out with ANISEIS.
A PhD or equivalent in seismology or related field is required, with
experience of seismic data processing, traveltime or waveform
inversion or modelling highly desirable. Experience of seismic data
processing and programming under Unix is also desirable.
The project begins on 1st May 2003 and the closing data for
applications is 15th March 2003.
Informal enquiries to Sheila Peacock, [log in to unmask]
Please visit the University personnel unit web page if you
wish to make a formal application:
http://www.personnel.bham.ac.uk
Or email [log in to unmask] or ring (+44)(0)121 414 6486
Please quote reference number S36542/03 in all correspondence.
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