Postdoctoral Research Associate

The Role

We invite applications for a Post-Doctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to join the Department of Earth Sciences, working with Professor Ed Llewellin and Professor Madeleine Humphreys at Durham University, and Dr Hugh Tuffen at Lancaster University, on a project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council: “Explosive–effusive volcanic eruption transitions caused by pyroclast sintering”. The position is fixed term for 38 months. This laboratory-based project will address a first-order challenge in volcanology – understanding the controls on transitions in eruption style and intensity during the most hazardous eruptions. The project team recently developed the ‘cryptic fragmentation’ model to explain effusive–explosive transitions in crystal-poor rhyolitic eruption s, demonstrating that apparently effusive rhyolite lavas are formed by sinter-assembly of the clastic products of deeper fragmentation. This new project will explore the extent to which the cryptic fragmentation model also applies to intermediate (andesitic and dacitic) systems, which are much more common and pose a much greater societal risk than rhyolitic volcanoes. The project will also quantify the component physical processes that drive and mediate transitions within this new cryptic fragmentation paradigm, supporting the development of rigorous physical and numerical models for transitions in, and cessation of, intermediate and silicic volcanic eruptions.

The successful applicant will be expected to undertake laboratory experiments and sample analysis to collect high-quality data that inform on sintering processes in natural and synthetic analogue systems. The PDRA will also work with the investigator and collaborator team to interpret the results and produce high-impact publications based on the findings. The PDRA will benefit from close interaction with a wide range of expertise within the broader project collaboration network and will be expected to attend conferences to present their work. The PDRA will join the vibrant volcanology group at Durham University and will further benefit from the Department’s mentoring programme for Early Career Researchers. PDRAs are also encouraged to co-supervise postgraduate and undergraduate research projects. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the general activities of the volcanology group and participate actively in the intellectual life of the department. There may be opportunities to teach/demonstrate in labs and field classes depending on the interests of the successful candidate.

This post is fixed term for 38 months. The research project funding is from NERC and is available for the fixed-term period only.

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

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