Please forward to any appropriate students.
University of Southampton
Graduate School of Southampton Oceanography Centre
A NERC margins studentship is available for the following
project:
How does melting affect continental rift development?
Dr Tim Henstock, Dr Tim Minshull and Dr John Hopper (GEOMAR, Kiel)
As new ocean basins start to form, continents are extended by large amounts,
with crustal thinning accompanied by upwelling of the mantle. The rheology of
the mantle - a key factor in controlling this extension - can be strongly
affected by other interlinked processes. Melting due to the mantle upwelling has
a particularly critical effect because water weakens mantle rocks, but is
removed with the first melt. Changes in mantle strength then control the form of
the upwelling, leading to a closely coupled system. Key unresolved issues are:
· What forces are needed to break continental lithosphere?
· Why is melting sometimes suppressed to create amagmatic rifted margins?
· How important is asymmetry in the rifting process?
The project will build on a two-dimensional modelling code developed as part of
a Ph.D. project at the DLC and extend its application into three dimensions, and
incorporate these additional effects of melting to improve the realism. The
student will apply the model to data from continental margins formed under a
range of different conditions. As part of the UK's most active marine geophysics
group, the student will participate in one or more research cruises, and will
work alongside a large group studying various aspects of rifted margin formation
and evolution. His/her experience will be broadened by extended visits to
GEOMAR. The project will equip the student well for employment in the
hydrocarbon industry, in academic research, or in software development.
Applications: Candidates should have, or be about to complete, a bachelors or
masters degree in physics, geophysics, geology, applied maths or engineering.
This studentship is available now, but must be started up by October 2004.
If you are interested in this project, please contact Dr Tim
Henstock (tel. 023 80 596491; e-mail [log in to unmask]) or Dr Tim Minshull
(tel. 023 8059 6569; e-mail [log in to unmask]). More information about the
Graduate School at SOC is available at http://www.soes.soton.ac.uk/graduate/
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Tim Henstock, Lecturer in Geophysics
School of Ocean and Earth Science
Southampton Oceanography Centre
University of Southampton
[log in to unmask]
+44 (0)23 8059 6491
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