Siavash Ghelichkhan

GD Geodynamics

The 2026 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Siavash Ghelichkhan for pioneering the use of adjoint methods in geodynamics and developing open-source tools that integrate geodynamic models with observational data to improve understanding of Earth’s interior.

Siavash Ghelichkhan is recognised for outstanding contributions to computational geodynamics, particularly in the development and application of inverse modelling techniques to better understand Earth’s interior. His work combines theoretical innovation, numerical methods, and high-performance computing to link geodynamic simulations with a wide range of observational data. During his PhD, Ghelichkhan developed the theoretical framework for applying adjoint methods to thermochemical, compressible mantle convection. This enabled, for the first time, rigorous inverse modelling in realistic geodynamic settings. His research opened new opportunities to infer past mantle conditions from present-day surface and seismic observations.

As a postdoctoral researcher, he played a leading role in developing an open-source platform that automates adjoint derivation and couples geodynamic models with seismic, geological, and geochemical data. This software significantly lowers the barrier to using inverse methods in the Earth sciences and is already reshaping how geodynamic models are constructed and interpreted. Ghelichkhan has applied these tools to a range of scientific questions involving mantle structure and flow, dynamic topography, plate motion, and deep Earth composition. His work has provided new constraints on the physical properties that shape mantle plume dynamics and preserve chemically distinct domains in the lowermost mantle. He has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications, including two in 'Nature Geoscience', and his research has been widely cited across geophysics and planetary science. His contributions demonstrate scientific creativity, technical excellence, and a strong commitment to collaboration and open science.

Through his Early Career achievements, Ghelichkhan has established himself as a leader in data-integrated geodynamic modelling. His work is advancing the field and providing powerful new tools for the broader Earth science community.