Opportunities

1. Ph.D. and M.S. opportunities in Seismology at Purdue University starting Fall 2021

The Computational Seismology and Tectonics group in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University seeks highly motivated M.S. and Ph.D. students to work on a broad spectrum of seismological and tectonics topics. As part of a multidisciplinary department, students work in a collaborative environment and get exposure to a variety of expertise in earth and planetary systems, such as seismology, geodesy, petrology, lithosphere dynamics, tectonics, structural geology, planetary geology, and broader earth system interactions.

Students with B.S. or M.S. degree in geophysics, geology, engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, or closely related fields are all welcome to apply. To be considered for financial support, please submit your application for M.S and Ph.D. positions by January 2, 2021, for Fall 2021 admission. Please check http://www.eaps.purdue.edu/for_students/graduate/grad_admissions.html for application requirements. Applicants are encouraged to contact the following faculty to discuss potential projects.

• Dr. Xiaotao Yang (xtyang<at>purdue.edu)

Ph.D. and M.S. opportunities to apply and develop high-resolution seismic imaging methods (receiver functions, ambient seismic noise, and others) to solve problems in tectonics in different settings, the occurrence of earthquakes and volcanoes, and transient velocity changes in the shallow subsurface. Regions of interest to address these issues include but are not limited to the Aleutian-Alaska subduction margin and the continental interior, the North-American mid-continent, and the western United States. Full financial support, including teaching assistantships and research assistantships, will be provided for both M.S and Ph.D. students. Applicants can find more information about Dr. Yang's research at http://www.eaps.purdue.edu/people/faculty-pages/yang.html.

• Dr. Jonathan Delph (jdelph<at>purdue.edu)

Ph.D. and M.S. opportunities to apply and develop passive-source seismic imaging and seismic interferometry techniques to the tectonics/geodynamics of Earth. Specific research projects include linking slab dynamics to tectonics in the eastern Mediterranean, investigating variations in crustal and upper mantle properties in the Pacific Northwest, and improving models for seismic wave propagation. Other opportunities may develop that involve shallow (upper crustal) seismic imaging and linking petrological and seismological observations. Full financial support, including teaching assistantships and research assistantships, will be provided for both M.S and Ph.D. students. Applicants can find more information about Dr. Delph’s research at http://www.eaps.purdue.edu/people/faculty-pages/delph.html.

• Dr. Robert L. Nowack (nowack<at>purdue.edu)

M.S. opportunities in theoretical and applied seismology and GeoData Science. Recent studies have included Marchenko imaging with application to carbon sequestration, seismic body-wave interferometry using the autocorrelation of ambient noise, machine learning for seismic inversion, and iterative time-domain deconvolution for time-varying seismic data. A seismic array is currently being deployed to study unconventional seismic sources and their use in interferometric imaging. Dr. Nowack is a coordinator for the Purdue Geodata Science Professional Master’s program (more information can be found at https://www.eaps.purdue.edu/gdsp/). Applicants can find more information about Dr. Nowack’s research at https://web.ics.purdue.edu/~nowack/.

• Dr. Douglas R. Schmitt (schmitt<at>purdue.edu)

Ph.D. and MSc opportunities in applied seismology, rock physics, and geomechanics. Current studies are focusing on quantitative assessments of fault stabilities for induced seismicity, detailed analysis of geophone and DAS seismic data from boreholes (Alpine Fault, Chicxulub), measurement of the seismic anisotropy of candidate deformed metamorphic and unconventional reservoir rocks, the laboratory measurement of crustal fluid seismic properties, active source seismic imaging on the Kentland Crater, and application of nonlinear elasticity theory to rock mechanics. Students are expected to participate in field studies supported by an active source seismic vibrator, a 240-channel geophone system, 3-C wireline sondes deployable to 3-km. More information about Dr. Schmitt is available at https://www.eaps.purdue.edu/people/profile/schmitt.html.

2. Postdoctoral collaborators

I am always looking for excellent postdocs to collaborate on exciting projects. Specific research topics could be open for discussion. Please don't hesitate to contact me for potential opportunities.

3. Visiting scholars

Specific research topics could be open for discussion. Please don't hesitate to contact me for potential collaborations.