PhD students are sought to work on several seismological and geophysical topics in the School of Geography, Environment, and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington (VUW; http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sgees). The geophysics group at Victoria University of Wellington has an established track record of research in seismology, tectonics, crustal geophysics, and structural geology, and most PhD projects involve a component of fieldwork somewhere exciting and close collaboration with GNS Science or other New Zealand research organisations.
In the most recent Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) evaluation, Victoria University of Wellington was ranked first in New Zealand for research excellence and was also ranked first in New Zealand in Earth Sciences.
Alpine Fault seismology, structure, and hydrogeology — several studies addressing the structure and evolution of the Alpine Fault in the South Island are underway, including analysis of data collected during Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) experiments in 2011 and 2014 and on-going analysis of tremor, low-frequency earthquakes, and earthquake triggering. Students interested in conducting PhD research on seismological, structural, or hydrogeological topics are encouraged to contact us. Additionally, an MSc by thesis scholarship focused on Alpine Fault seismicity has been funded: details are available at http://tinyurl.com/AlpineFault-MSc.
Structure of the Hikurangi subduction margin beneath Wellington — an international consortium of researchers in New Zealand, the US and Japan has been studying this problem for several years using active and passive seismic methods (the SAHKE experiment). A recent earthquake sequence in Cook Strait and the northern South Island has provided a new set of data for a PhD student to analyse in conjunction with active-source data. We are particularly interested in the properties of the plate boundary and how they relate to nearby areas of slow slip and to earthquake occurrence patterns.
Volcano seismology — we are continuing to develop techniques to test whether time-varying seismic properties such as isotropic velocity, anisotropy and attenuation can be used to detect and interpret changes in the magmatic system underneath volcanoes in New Zealand and overseas.
Seismological studies of geothermal areas — in collaboration with Mighty River Power, a large electricity generator, we are working on several projects focused on seismicity and structure in active geothermal fields. PhD projects of particular interest include: a) microearthquake characterization of geothermal fields in New Zealand; b) ambient noise imaging of geothermal areas of New Zealand: c) petrophysical characterisation of geothermal fields via seismic wave analysis.
Geophysical statistics — students are sought to work on statistically robust methods of seismological analysis applied, particularly, to the automatic determination of S arrival times, seismic anisotropy, and earthquake focal mechanisms.
Seismicity and tectonics of southern South Island — the thick crust and lithosphere underlying the central Otago region, together with widespread seismicity and geological evidence for recent, regional uplift, suggest deformation is widespread in southernmost New Zealand, particularly at deeper levels in the lithosphere. This PhD project will involve the continued operation of a recently installed micro-earthquake array as a tool to investigate the tectonics of this region.
Regional tectonic evolution and structure of offshore Zealandia — a large dataset of offshore seismic-reflection data has been compiled and new voyages are planned. Students are sought with an interest in the manipulation and interpretation of seismic-reflection, gravity, and magnetic data.
Tectonic geodesy — students with skills in GPS/GNSS/InSAR/gravimetry are encouraged to inquire about current opportunities to work on aspects of interseismic deformation, vertical deformation, and the characterization of short-term transients.
The next deadline for PhD scholarship applications is 1 July 2015 in New Zealand: successful scholarship applicants receive a NZ$23,500 stipend and all tuition fee payments for a term of three years. Students should have completed an MSc degree prior to commencing study: competition for scholarships is fierce, and successful applicants will likely have high undergraduate GPAs in one or more of mathematics, physics, geology, or geophysics, and, ideally, a track record of peer-reviewed publications commensurate with experience. The next application deadline after July is 1 November 2015.
Full details regarding the application process are available from the Faculty of Graduate Research at http://tinyurl.com/VUW-FGR. (Note that the eligibility conditions and award level of the Alpine Fault MSc scholarship referred to above are different; the webpage above provides full details.)
Students wishing to apply should also contact Assoc Prof John Townend ([log in to unmask], http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sgees/about/staff/john-townend) to discuss project options.