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We are Hiring!

Graduate student positions available for Chain transform fault experiment

We are recruiting students to join an interdisciplinary project to study the dynamic behavior of the Chain transform fault in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Oceanic transform faults consist of sections that slip in large earthquakes separated by sections that are primarily aseismic. They display a variety of structural features – valleys, transverse ridges, median ridges, flower structures, fault segmentation – whose origins are linked to stress, strain, and material properties. This project will use two research cruises to deploy a range of techniques to understand these features by analyzing the structure and composition of the Chain transform fault.

Available projects include:

• Constraining fault surface expression using autonomous underwater vehicle surveys

• Evaluation of crustal and fault structure at depth from multi-channel seismic data

• Identification of fault zone rock properties through analysis of deformed rocks

• Exploration of the role of magmas using geochemical techniques

PhD and Master’s positions are available at the University of Delaware, Boston College, Boise State University, and Indiana University Bloomington. Positions will be fully funded through a mixture of research and teaching assistantships. Students will have opportunities to participate in a research cruise, collaborate across disciplines, engage in project outreach, attend a multi-institution tectonics course, and work with additional collaborators at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Prospective students should contact: Prof. Jessica Warren (warrenj@udel.edu) for projects in rock deformation and ultramafic geochemistry; Prof. Mark Behn (behnm@bc.edu) and Prof. Jianhua Gong (gongjian@iu.edu) for projects based on geophysical methods and fault tectonics; and Prof. Dorsey Wanless (dwanless@boisestate.edu) for projects on basalt petrology and geochemistry. Priority will be given to applications received in early January 2024 (please look at individual institution websites for specific application guidance).