PhD Project in impact geology with the Haughton-Mars Project
A PhD student is sought to study the geology of the 23 Ma, 24
km-diameter Haughton impact structure, located on Devon Island in the
Canadian high arctic (75 22' N latitude). The PhD project will focus
on understanding (1) the geology of the central uplift-fallback
breccia zone, including the formation of rapidly depressurized target
lithologies; (2) the contribution of CO2 (liberated from shocked
carbonates) and water (liberated from volatilized cherts and pore
fluids) to impact plume mechanics. Haughton is currently the focus of
scientific attention as a Mars analogue site. The PhD project will
interface with an infrastructure operated by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA), the Geological Survey of Canada
(GSC), and the Polar Continental Shelf Project. The Haughton-Mars
Project comprises a team of scientists involved in multidisciplinary
studies of Haughton with a focus on those aspects of the site that may
be relevant to Mars. Fields of study include geomorphology,
geophysics, climatology and extremophile biology. Field activities
take place both at the crater and in surrounding terrains on Devon
Island. The project also serves as a testbed for developing new
exploration technologies (field communication devices, robotic
helicopters, rovers, drills) and for conducting human factors studies
in preparation for future human and robotic missions to Mars The PhD
project will complement these studies and focus specifically on the
geology of the Haughton Structure.
The supervisor will be Dr John Spray at the University of New
Brunswick, Canada, where the PhD project will be based, with
assistance from team leader Dr Pascal Lee (NASA Ames Research Center,
Moffett Field, California), and fellow team members Dr Ted Bunch
(Chief, Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames) and Dr Richard Grieve (Chief
Geoscientist, GSC; who is an Adjunct Professor at the University of
New Brunswick). It will be possible to perform comparative shock
experiments using the Ames Vertical Gun at NASA in collaboration with
Dr Ted Bunch. There will also be the opportunity to field test a
portable thin-sectioning unit with microscope for potential astronaut
use.
The PhD project will be funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for four years at an annual stipend
of $16,000-18,000. The start date is January 1999 or, at the latest,
in time for the relatively short, five-week, June-July field season.
The student should be in possession of an MSc and be able to
demonstrate competence in field work, geological mapping and
petrographic techniques. He/she will join an active team of research
students and a post-doctoral fellow engaged in impact studies based at
the University of New Brunswick. Candidates should be physically fit
and interested in outdoor pursuits, including experience in camping
and survival techniques in more extreme climate conditions. Interested
candidates should contact John Spray. Details of Dr Spray's research
program can be found via website http:\\www.unb.ca\geology\jgs\jgs.htm
Dr John Spray
Department of Geology
University of New Brunswick
2 Bailey Drive
Fredericton Tel: (506) 453-3550
New Brunswick, E3B 5A3 Fax: (506) 453-5055
CANADA e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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