Project description
Improved modelling approaches offer unprecedented insight into mantle dynamics
Understanding how the Earth’s mantle works requires studying the interactions between plumes (rising hot material) and slabs (sinking cold material). While seismic images show complex shapes where plumes and slabs meet, most studies focus on them separately, leaving their combined dynamics poorly understood. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SPIDER project aims to model slab-plume interactions using state-of-the-art code. The researcher will develop tools to automatically detect plume and slab morphologies and properties. The developed models will be compared with real-world systems. The proposed work should improve understanding of mantle dynamics and help the researcher establish expertise in geodynamic modelling.
Objective
Understanding mantle dynamics requires deep knowledge of plumes and slabs. Seismic tomography images reveal the existence of interacting slabs and plumes with very intricate shapes. This wide diversity of interacting slab-plume morphologies is indicative of their properties (strength, rheology, composition) and dynamics, although we still lack strong quantitative studies, most numerical models address slab or plume dynamics in isolation. The SPIDER project proposes to focus on slab-plume interactions, in order to decipher the effects of plume and slab properties on their geometry and dynamics. To do so, SPIDER will 1/ numerically model complex slab-plume interactions within a vigorously convecting mantle using the state-of-the-art code StagYY. The applicant will develop topological tools to automatically detect and time-track the plume and slab morphologies and properties; 2/ rigorously explore the effects of the rheological contrasts between slabs and plumes, magmatic-geochemical evolution and mantle melting on slab-plume interaction patterns; and 3/ systematically compare seismic tomography, magmatism and climatic observations in the very distinct Tonga-Samoa and Farallon-Yellowstone slab/plume systems with the characteristics and dynamics of model slab/plume interactions. This unprecedented effort to explain the diversity of observed slab-plume interactions will ultimately help to constrain mantle rheology and dynamics. The applicant will bring his experience in numerical modeling of subduction zone and plume dynamics to the Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Terre, Planètes et Environnement (LGL-TPE, UCBL, France) and University College London, UK, where he will benefit from and contribute to world-leading expertise on the Earth’s mantle-lithosphere evolution in a stimulating intellectual environment. This project will reinforce his professional independence and knowledge diversity as he will become a key player in the geodynamic modeling domain.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology seismology plate tectonics
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics geometry
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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69622 Villeurbanne Cedex
France
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