Graduate Student Opportunities
Graduate Student Position in Mineral Physics Lab
The mineral physics lab at the Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for graduate student positions towards a Master's or Ph.D. degree in mineral physics. The Jackson School of Geosciences has exceptionally well-funded research programs and offers a number of scholarships to support graduate students for an extended period of time. Candidates with strong background and/or interest in physics (solid state physics), math, and geophysics/geochemistry are strongly encouraged to apply. Our mineral physics research programs focuses on high pressure-temperature experimental studies on materials properties using synchrotron X-ray and optical spectroscopies in a diamond anvil cell. Information about the graduate student programs at the Jackson School is available at: http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/.
Please contact Dr. Jung-Fu Lin at afu@jsg.utexas.edu for further information.
Posted by: Jung-Fu Lin
Innovative Detrital Provenance Studies - Double Dating PLUS
A major thrust of my current research the development and application of more comprehensive isotopic detrital provenance tools. U-Pb on zircon is clearly the big work horse, but only goes so far and sometimes yields "no" useful info, e.g., if the source of the sediment is mostly recycled sediment. We have extensively pursued double dating of zircons by U-Pb and He, as zircon He ages yield very interesting insights into the thermal and tectonic history of the source terrane; often yielding very different insights than crystallization ages. The combination is powerful, but I think we can take things so much farther by combining double dating with other constrains. People have tried fission track (not precise enough), Hf/Hf (to get mantle separation model ages), etc., but what we want to do and are working on is really Double Dating ++, combining zircon U-Pb-He dating with a variety of other geochemical aspects to more comprehensive understand detrital provenance and improve paleo-tectonic reconstructions. For example, trace-element thermometry (Ti in zirc), REE on zircon (met vs mag origin), Hf/Hf (see above), oxygen isotopes, etc. and also to develop rutile in an analogous manner (e.g., Zr in rut thermometry, Cr/Nb ratio (mafic vs granulitic), REE, etc.). The sky is the limit and what can learn so much. The issue in part it, how much can a single grain tell us before it's gone? The project sounds very laboratory oriented, but it's really a combination of field and lab work. We have identified a few possible case study areas, e.g., Morocco; great exposures, long-lived and preserved record of basin deposition since the Precambrian. My group is already working on some case studies in NW Himalayas, the N & S Pyrenees, the Sevier FTB, Permian Basin and other foreland basin. New projects include provenance studies along rifted and passive continental margins such the Gulf of Mexico, the central Atlantic Margins in Canada, USA, Portugal, and Morocco.
Posted by: Daniel Stockli
Graduate research opportunities in computational seismology
Texas Consortium for Computational Seismology is looking for Ph.D. students interested in computational research. Our group works on a broad range of topics in exploration geophysics, from wave-equation seismic imaging and inversion to computational algorithms for seismic data processing and seismic interpretation. The work is supported by industrial sponsors. We use open-source software tools and high-performace computing resources.
Posted by: Sergey Fomel
Graduate student positions in geomechanics and geofluids
The GeoMechanics and GeoFluids research group has immediate opportunities for graduate and postdoctoral study. Drs. Saffer and Flemings are most enthused by students who have a commitment to a doctoral program because that allows time to delve deeply into research. However, we also regularly accept exceptional M.S. students into our research group. If you are interested, please email Demian Saffer (demian@ig.utexas.edu) or Peter Flemings (pflemings@jsg.utexas.edu).
Browse opportunities and learn more about our research group at UT GeoMechanics and GeoFluids.
Posted by: Peter Flemings
MSc or PhD Student
Our team is almost always interested in recruiting new graduate students who are interested in paleoecology, marine communities, carbonate sedimentology, and/or geobiology. We currently have teo areas of focus, modern and Pleistocene reef and coastal communities in Jamaica and Early Jurassic marine paleoecology in Morocco
Posted by: Rowan Martindale
Laser ablation (U-Th)/He and 4He/3He dating of zircon and apatite
Seeking motivated Ph.D. students interested in noble gas geo-thermochronology and geochemistry to pursue project in method development and application of laser ablation (U-Th)/He dating and depth profile 4He/3He thermochronometry of zircon and apatite. Our laboratory has a dedicated noble gas extraction line with a SFT magnetic sector noble gas mass spectrometer and dedicated Excimer Laser. The lab also houses two Element2 magnetic sector single collector ICP-MS instruments with a second Excimer laser as well as a state-of-the-art Bruker optical interferometric microscope. The project will develop laser ablation methodology to recover detailed thermal histories from apatite and zircon by laser ablation (U-Th)/He and 4He/3He dating as well as comparison to step-heating fractional loss experiments.
Posted by: Daniel Stockli
LA-ICP-MS single-pule U-Pb depth profiling recovery of thermal histories
Seeking motivated Ph.D. students interested in in-situ geochronology to pursue project in method development and application of laser ablation continuous mode or single-pulse U-Pb LA-ICP-MS geo-thermochronology as well as trace element speedometry to constrain thermal history or lower and middle crustal rocks. The UTChron Geo- and Thermochronometry laboratory houses two Element2 magnetic sector single collector ICP-MS instruments with a large-volume cell Excimer laser system, ideally suited for depth profiling and U-Pb and trace element split stream analysis. The laboratory also houses a Bruker optical interferometric microscope to control laser ablation rates as well as a Raman system. The focus of applications is on method development and application to the exhumation of middle and lower crustal rocks in rifted margin settings.
Posted by: Daniel Stockli
PhD/MS opportunities
My group welcomes new students with strong motivations on understanding how solid Earth and planets operate and its impacts on shaping habitable surface environments. Prospective students are expected to have a STEM background. If these describe you, feel free to contact me through email for position openings in my group.
Posted by: Chenguang Sun
Ph.D. Project Greece - Petrochronology and tectonic evolution of the Cycladic Blueschist Complex (University of Texas at Austin)
Duration: 4-5 years
Ph.D. project available in the Stockli Research Group and UTChron Laboratory of the Dept of Earth and Planetary Sciences (https://eps.jsg.utexas.edu/) at the Jackson School of Geosciences (https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/) of The University of Texas at Austin. The project focuses on the tectonic and metamorphic evolution of the Cycladic Blueschist Complex in central and northern Greece to constrain the tectonic and metamorphic evolution of one of the world's best-exposed subduction complexes. The project entails field mapping and structural analysis with strong emphasis on accessory mineral (zircon, apatite, titanite) LA-ICP-MS petrochronology, microanalytical mineral imaging and elemental and isotopic mapping, and low-temperature (U-Th)/He thermochronometry of the Cycladic Blueschist Complex in central and north-eastern Greece with the goal of constraining the pre-subduction, subduction, and exhumation history of Cycladic blueschists and understanding subduction underplating within the Hellenic subduction complex. The project is a collaboration with the University of Athens (Prof. Soukis) and we are seek an outstanding, motivated, and independent PhD student with interested in combining field and cutting-edge laboratory work.
Interested candidates should contact Dr. Daniel Stockli with any inquiries and questions regarding the project or application procedures. For more information regarding the Stockli Research Group (https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/stockli-group/), the UTChron Laboratory (https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/utchron-lab/) please see these website links.
Applications are due January 1, 2024, and information about applying to our program is online using the online application from the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin. Applications must be complete in the Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) by the appropriate deadline. ALL ITEMS must be received by the deadline. We no longer require submission of a GRE score for the application for the Fall of 2024, however, international applicants do require submission of TOEFL scores.
For general admissions questions, please see https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/education/graduate/admissions/
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the most diverse campuses in the nation. With nearly 52,000 students from all 50 states and 123 countries, we take seriously our motto: What Starts Here Changes the World. We boast 18 colleges and schools with over 300 degree programs, representing a diversity of thought and scholarship that is staggering. The Dept. of Geological Sciences at UT seeks to foster an environment where faculty, students, and staff feel valued and welcome.
Posted by: Daniel Stockli
Urbanization and water resources (NSF Hydrologic Sciences Program)
Our group studies the impacts of urbanization on hydrologic systems using geochemical, field, laboratory, and modeling methods. New opportunities for graduate research in this area are available for students applying for Fall admission. Contact Jay Banner at banner@jsg.utexas.edu.
Posted by: Jay Banner
Paleoclimate reconstructions and modern hydrology of karst systems (NSF Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change Program)
Our group reconstructs regional climate change in response to global change using speleothems and tree rings. These studies are advanced by analysis of modern karst hydrologic systems in which the speleothems are found. New opportunities for graduate research in this area are available for students applying for Fall admission. Contact Jay Banner at banner@jsg.utexas.edu.
Posted by: Jay Banner
CRESSLE: Community Resilience integrated into an Earth System Science Learning Ecosystem (NSF Cultural Transformation of the Geoscience Community Program)
CRESSLE represents an emerging approach to environmental resilience that emphasizes bidirectional learning between universities and communities. These teams will comprise a 'Community of Practice' to design and implement research projects addressing community challenges and Environmental Justice in three themes: Water Resources, Climate Resilience, and Communities & Landscapes.
Posted by: Jay Banner
PhD opportunity in Subduction Zone Seafloor Geodesy and Megathrust Processes
We are currently seeking a PhD student to join the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in the Jackson School of Geosciences, at The University of Texas at Austin. This NSF-funded project focuses on the analysis of data from borehole observatories installed at the offshore Hikurangi subduction zone in New Zealand, to investigate slow slip event processes on the plate boundary. The student working on this project will have the opportunity to collaborate with a broad team of principal investigators, postdocs and students addressing the interplay between hydrological, geochemical, and deformation processes and their relationship to earthquake and slow slip occurrence at subduction zones. The student will also have opportunities to participate in seagoing research voyages, and be part of a vibrant subduction geophysics and geomechanics research program at UTIG that includes deep expertise in marine geophysics, seafloor geodesy, numerical modeling, laboratory experimentation, geomechanics, fault geology, and ocean drilling.
For information please contact Laura Wallace (lwallace@utexas.edu) and Demian Saffer (demian.saffer@austin.utexas,edu).
All applications must be submitted by the appropriate deadline (December 1st 2022 for priority and fellowship consideration, and January 1st for all applications). See https://gradschool.utexas.edu/admissions/how-to-apply. More information about the application process can be found at The University of Texas at Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences admissions portal: http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/education/graduate/admissions/.
For additional information concerning the application process, contact the Jackson School of Geosciences graduate Program Coordinator, Philip Guerrero: philipg@jsg.utexas.edu.
Posted by: Demian Saffer
Mantle and Fault System Dynamics Graduate Research
The UT Geodynamics Team is always looking for motivated graduate and undergraduate students.
The University of Texas at Austin hosts an exciting and diverse community of researchers at the Jackson School of Geoscience, which includes the UTIG and DGS units with which I am affiliated. At UT, we are colocated and collaborate with a number of others, including at the Texas Advanced Computing Center and the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences.
We are always looking for motivated students with a keen interest and solid background in the Earth sciences, physics, engineering, or computer science. Please take a look at some of our recent publications to give you an idea of current projects, but I like to work with students who think and work independently and challenge and extend my expertise and interests.
Please consider applying for our program should you be interested in pursuing a PhD in my research group, and see the JSG pages for admission procedures. The (important) Fellowship deadline is December 1 each year. If you think this could be a match, please do reach out by email.
Posted by: Thorsten Becker
Ph.D. Opportunities in Environmental Seismology and Energy Transition
My 4D Seismology group is looking for self-motivated Ph.D. students interested in applying seismic analysis to understand Earth's physical processes associated with climate change and energy transition. Potential research topics focus on fluid/vapor systems in Earth's shallow subsurface, including hydrological processes, geothermal energy exploitation, carbon capture and storage, critical-zone processes, and volcanic unrest. Students in our group will develop and employ cutting-edge seismological techniques (such as passive seismic interferometry and coda-wave imaging) to study the spatiotemporal evolution and physical mechanisms of subsurface processes. Please contact shujuan.c.mao AT gmail.com for further info.
Posted by: Shujuan Mao
Ice sheet dynamics
I am searching for PhD students interested in ice sheet evolution and glacial dynamics. Students will develop numerical modeling skills and apply those tools to explore geologically informed questions about the Earth system. Potential research topics include Antarctic ice sheet stability during past warm periods; interactions between Northern and Southern Hemisphere ice sheets; long-term ice sheet cyclicity; surface meltwater processes; and reconstructing the behavior of Antarctic outlet glaciers and marine-terminating ice during the last deglaciation.
Posted by: Anna Halberstadt