University of Geneva and the Swiss National Science Foundation

Homepage: https://www.unige.ch/sciences/terre/en/earth-sciences-department/

The University of Geneva, Switzerland has an extremely strong record in Isotope Geoscience, and is supported by in-house world-class analytical facilities, including access to the complementary laboratories at the University of Lausanne, 50km away. We are seeking two highly motivated PhD students to join our group at the University of Geneva.

The projects will test key assumptions underlying thermochronology, focussing on the Ar/Ar, Sm/Nd, U/Pb and Lu/Hf methods. The two projects will combine in-situ geochronological measurements with mineral characterization (texture, composition, structure) to constrain the mechanisms of Ar and Pb redistribution within single crystals. Are isotopes mainly lost by thermally activated volume diffusion, leading to the generation of continuous thermal history paths? If so, what is the effect of the nature of the grain boundary? Alternatively, does the distribution of Ar and Pb reflect something else (e.g. mineral-fluid interaction)? The projects include a significant field component in northern Sweden and Canada, in regions that are excellent natural laboratories to test thermochronological assumptions, and where the geological histories are well known.

Each project is fully funded for 4 years by the Swiss National Science Foundation at standard SNSF/UNIGE PhD salary scale. We welcome applications from candidates holding a BSc. (hons), MSc. or equivalent in Earth Sciences, Physics, Chemistry or Material Science. Thermochronology is a powerful but challenging quantitative tool, so a solid grounding in mathematics and the natural sciences is beneficial, as is the ability to work in a clean laboratory environment with sophisticated equipment. Candidates must be able to communicate clearly in English.

The start date is flexible, but will be on or after the 1^st of April, 2027. All applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis until both positions are filled.

To apply, please send a cover letter, CV and the contact details of two referees to Dr. Richard Spikings (richard.spikings@unige.ch)