PROJECT SUPERVISION

PhD students:

• Matias Clunes, PUC (1st year); CONICYT funded PhD investigating the influence of crustal heterogeneity and anisotropy in magma propagation and storage in Andean environments. 

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• Blaise Winnard, UCL (3rd year); EPSRC CASE PhD investigating the long-term performance of a radioactive waste disposal facility in response to permafrost and climatic variation. This project is concerned with testing the physical properties of bentonite and its response to temperature cycling under conditions that have been simulated with climate models.

• Kyriaki Drymoni, RHUL (Final year); Departmental funded PhD investigating mechanisms of dyke propagation and arrest at Santorini caldera. A primarily field based study which is concerned with mapping the northern section of the caldera wall at Santorini in order to understand the physics of dyke propagation. Components of the project also include microscope and SEM analysis, numerical modelling and microstructural characterisation.

• WINNER OF THE 2018 VMSG STUDENT PRESENTATION AWARD.

MSci / MSc students:

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• Javiera Ruz, PUC: Studying the interaction between crustal faults and magma propagation. 

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• Ali Daoud, UCL; Investigating the presence of a Kaiser ‘temperature memory effect’ in volcanic rocks. This project utilises measurements of acoustic measurements in a uniaxial loading cell and a high-temperature furnace to compare and contrast the mechanical Kaiser damage effect to the postulated Kaiser ‘temperature memory effect’.

• Kashish Gupta, UCL: Investigating inflation, magma chamber geometry and rupture characteristics to make a generic model of magma chamber rupture.

• Jack McGrath, UCL: Testing failure forecast models in the tensile field through Uniaxial brazil tests. Results are applied to rupture of volcanic edifices which are most commonly found in extension regimes.

Internships (2nd supervisor):

• Pratibha Srivastava and Fiona Acris (UCL); Investigating edge effects in material deformed under true-triaxial loading. This short (2 month) project involved the characterisation of material deformed under true-triaxial stresses to ascertain the degree of boundary or edge effects. The students used SEM images, permeability and ultrasonic wave velocities to investigate this problem. The results were presented at an international conference.    

• Jian Li (UCL): Investigating thermal cracking and unloading processes in exhumed rock masses.