From Core to Crust: Understanding Earth’s Rhythms with Normal Mode and Surface Wave Seismology

Seismology, the study of seismic waves generated by earthquakes and other sources, offers profound insights into Earth’s structure from its core to its crust. Among the methods used, Normal Mode Seismology stands out for its ability to decode the overall planet’s internal composition and dynamics.  Normal modes are standing waves that result from surface waves that constructively interfere after propagating around the Earth’s surface. The Earth “rings like a bell” after a big earthquake, and this ringing can last for days or weeks. These waves are commonly studied by analysing peaks in the amplitude spectrum discarding the phase information. This PhD project will analyse the Earth’s Normal modes for their propagating-wave character and adapt and employ surface wave inversion methodologies (including machine learning seismic tomography technology) to shine new light the processes shaping our planet, advancing our understanding of everything beneath our feet.

As a PhD student in the YES Doctoral Training Network, you will benefit from a training environment that offers diverse schemes to boost your skills beyond technical expertise. Such schemes include academic writing to help you prepare the submission of research articles, and presentation skills to give you confidence in disseminating your work to international conference audiences. During your studies, you will be based in the Institute of Geophysics and Tectonics (IGT) or the Institue of Applied Geoscience (IAG) of Leeds’ School of Earth and Environment. With an active PhD research community, you will find a vibrant network of peer support. Furthermore, in working with the Geosolutions Centre, you will meet researchers not only developing technical solutions to energy transition problems, but also the policy solutions to implement technology for societal benefit: this represents a unique multi-disciplinary grouping that is unique for a UK research centre.

For your own background, you should be experienced in geophysics, physics, mathematics, computer sciences  or a related quantitative. You should have a passion for understanding and developing geophysical theory, and work computers and large datasets. You will be guided in developing your own ideas to the project. We welcome applications from anyone with relevant academic or industrial experience.