PhD positions available at the University of Miami

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3 PhD positions available in Space Geodesy/Volcanology/Tectonics at the University of Miami

The geodesy laboratory in the Department of Marine Geosciences (MGS) at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science (RSMAES) at the University of Miami, Florida, invites applications for fully funded PhD positions.
The appointees will work with MintPy/MiaplPy-processed InSAR data.

Earthquake-triggered magmatic unrest
There are many observations of volcanic unrest in the days to months following large earthquakes, but it is generally not known whether unrest is caused by magmatic or by hydrothermal processes. This PhD project will use a global multi-parameter investigation combining space-based ground deformation (InSAR), gas emissions, and thermal flux measurements with numerical static stress change modeling to identify and investigate triggered magmatic unrest. This is a joint project with Michigan Technological University.

Dynamics of ocean island volcanoes
This PhD project will investigate the eruption cycle of oceanic hotspot volcanoes with the aim of testing whether stress change models can hindcast past and forecast future volcanic processes. The research targets are the volcanoes in the Hawaiian and Galapagos islands, with emphasis on the 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa volcano, following on the work of Varugu & Amelung (2021).

Active tectonics of the Chaman fault system and of the Makran subduction zone
This PhD project will use InSAR data to study the mechanics of strain accumulation along the Chaman fault system in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and along the Makran subduction zone. Science questions to be addressed include the maximum earthquake size and degree of seismic coupling of the megathrust fault. This project follows on Fattahi & Amelung (2016) and Lv et al. (2021).

For more information on the School and our research activities, please visit http://earth.miami.edu/ and http://geodesy.earth.miami.edu/. Please contact Prof. Falk Amelung ([email protected]) for more information. Preferred starting dates are fall 2023 or spring 2024. For the formal application procedure please visit the School’s Graduate Studies website. International applicants are encouraged to take the TOEFL test at their earliest convenience. Review of applications starts in May 2023 and continues until the positions are filled.