PhD position in geosciences - ForMovFluid - Project #06

29 Jan 2025
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität

Research Field

Geosciences » Geology

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions

PhD Positions

Country

Germany

Application Deadline

7 Mar 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Horizon Europe - MSCA

Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number

101168931

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Within the MSCA Doctoral Network ForMovFluid (formovfluid.eu ), we have several PhD positions open at the moment. A complete description of this offer, together with all the elegibility criteria and employment conditions can be found at https://formovfluid.eu/positions/project-6/ .

Additional information about the project, and other PhD positions available can be consulted at ForMovFluid's website: formovfluid.eu

Project title

Spatio-temporal scales of fluid transport and reaction during ore formation

Overview & Research Questions

The formation of ore deposits includes complex interaction of fluid pathways, advection and diffusion of matter and temperature, mixing of fluids, as well as reactions that include replacement as well as new growth of material. Even though fluids are often modeled as having a certain chemical composition, eventually every locality in an ore deposit down to small scales can have a different fluid composition. Incoming fluids or existing pore fluids may initially have constant compositions, but these will change locally due to mixing and as soon as reactions take place, the host rock is dissolved into the fluid, new material precipitates and the fluid chemistry changes [1]. Even a simple crack around which reactions take place will become a multi-component system with complex chemical and transport interactions on the grain scale [2]. 

If we look at a natural system, how can we separate transport from reaction, how important are diffusion versus advection and how can we separate the different processes that led to the formation of a deposit from each other? How is the fluid composition evolving in time and space and what minerals will successively precipitate? In order to understand these relations in detail, we need to study transport, mixing and reactions of fluids and host rock on the local grain to outcrop scale in detail and compare field with modeling results.

We have recently developed a fully coupled granular scale 2D model that includes fracturing as well as fluid dynamics (advection and diffusion) in the Elle software with the PhreeqC Geochemical package, so that every local cell in the model can have a different fluid composition [1]. Initial results indicate that mixing takes place in diffusion dominated "quiet" areas whereas advection dominated parts of the system are flushed by reactive waves that do not necessarily lead to reactions. 

In this project the model will be expanded to include reactions and related fluid changes to be able to model the full complexity of ore formation on the small scale. We will then quantify the developing patterns as a function of incoming and pore fluid chemistries as well as host rock properties and extrinsic variables like depth and temperature. In addition we will attain complete geochemical cross-sections of alteration zones and ore zones around specific fluid pathways in our model field systems. These will be compared with the numerical patterns to develop a predictive tool for alteration zone and ore formation.

Where to apply

Website

https://formovfluid.eu/

Requirements

Research Field

Geosciences » Geology

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

The following criteria apply to all the DC positions within ForMovFluid:

• Early-Stage Researchers Rule: All researchers recruited in a doctoral network must be Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs, i.e., be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree).
• Nationality Rule:  Researchers can be of any nationality.
• Mobility Rule: at the time of recruitment by the host organisation, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the reference date. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not considered. The mobility rule applies to the (first) beneficiary where the researcher is recruited, and not to beneficiaries to which the researcher is sent or seconded. It is also only determined at one point in time: that of the fellow's first recruitment in the project.
• English Language: ESRs must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training.
• Host Specific Criteria: Every ESR must qualify for admittance as a PhD student at the university the position is assigned to. Consequently, there may be additional criteria for every position that are laid out in the detailed description of every ESR position.
• Number of Applications: Candidates can apply for up to 5 projects.

All the information about the position and details on how to apply can be consulted at the project's website: https://formovfluid.eu/

Specific Requirements

We are looking for a student holding a Masters degree in natural sciences with a strong knowledge in Earth Sciences or Economic Geology and a strong background in analytical and numerical capabilities. The project will involve the development and performance of numerical simulations, the study of natural examples and field research as well as analytical studies. 

We expect strong team building capabilities within ForMovFluid and the crustal research group at the Geocenter.

You will be part of an active group of researchers at the Geocenter and become part of the ForMovFluid group where you can improve technical and soft skills and open your horizon towards new disciplines and tools. Erlangen is a great, international and upcoming place to live in close proximity to Nuremberg, Munich, the Alps, as well as the Franconian karst and climbing areal.

FAU has a very good family program and many support programs for female researchers, we encourage you to apply to this position.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Additional Information
Benefits

Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will be provided with the following living allowance, subject to local taxation and government contribution requirements:

Ireland Living Allowance    €55,956 p.a. gross*

*subject to local taxation and government contribution requirements

Should you have a family at the time of your recruitment, you are entitled to an additional "family allowance" of EUR 500 per month. For the purposes of the MSCA, family is defined as "persons linked to the researcher by marriage (or a relationship with equivalent status to a marriage recognised by the legislation of the country where this relationship was formalised) or dependent children who are actually being maintained by the researcher". Note that your family status is determined at the time of your recruitment and remains fixed during the lifetime of the project.

Selection process

To apply to this position, please do it through ForMovFluid’s website: formovfluid.eu . You can apply through the dedicated form you will see in each position. You can apply for up to 5 projects (select them in the same form, ordered by your priority of choice), and please attach the following documents in the form:

• A two-page CV
• A one-page motivation letter for each of the DCs positions you want to apply. 
• The e-mail for a reference contact (not a reference letter, just the contact). We might contact your reference person during the decision process.

Website for additional job details

https://formovfluid.eu/positions/project-6/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität

Country

Germany

City

Erlangen

Postal Code

91054

Street

Schlossgarten 5

Geofield

Contact

City

Erlangen

Website

https://www.gzn.nat.fau.eu/

Street

Schlossgarten 5

Postal Code

91054

E-Mail

daniel.koehn@fau.de

STATUS: EXPIRED

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