The University of Sydney

Please find more information about the School of Geosciences, University of Sydney here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/science/schools/school-of-geosciences.html

Homepage: https://www.sydney.edu.au

Antarctica in motion: linking plate tectonics, mantle flow and ice sheet growth

Antarctica may be cold and remote, but it is one of the most geologically dynamic places on Earth. In this Australian Research Council funded PhD, you will be part of a broader research program focused on understanding how mantle dynamics beneath Antarctica have evolved over the past 40 million years and how these processes have influenced the development of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Your project will focus on building robust plate tectonic reconstructions, integrating new geological and geophysical constraints, including motion between East and West Antarctica, and deformation within the West Antarctic Rift System. These reconstructions will serve as critical boundary conditions for geodynamic simulations using the G-ADOPT modelling framework. Depending on interest, there may be an option to work on refining absolute plate motions using new data from hotspot trails east of Australia.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge polar geoscience based in the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney with collaborators in the Research School of Earth Sciences (RSES) at ANU and the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) at the University of Tasmania. While there is no fieldwork as part of this project, there may be opportunities for fieldwork on research voyages in the waters around Australia.

To apply, click the link below:

https://www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships/d/arc-postgraduate-research-scholarship.html.

Please contact Maria Seton maria.seton@sydney.edu.au for further information.