Research Support for Students: New Mexico Tech


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Research Opportunities in the EES Department

For more information about the opportunities below, please contact the relevant faculty. Contact information for EES faculty members can be found here.

Geomechanics/Hydrology:

Alex Rinehart:

I am recruiting for a funded MS or PhD student position in Geology at New Mexico Tech. The student map the geomorphic surfaces and hydrologic response units in the Rio Grande rift in Central New Mexico, to understand hydrogeomorphic feedbacks on dryland ecosystem dynamics, particularly shrub encroachment into grasslands. The project is supporting research at the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research site. The project in particular is mapping the geomorphic surface and deep soil profiles (up to 2 m) to understand soil correlations with grassland-shrub ecosystem boundaries, followed by a hydrologic field and lab characterization of the mapped units.

If you are interested, please contact Dr. Alex Rinehart ([email protected]).

We are seeking two (2) PhD students for admission at New Mexico Tech to study chemical and mechanical rate effects of rock fracture, going from creep rates, like the mechanical weathering of rock, to dynamic rates, like asteroid impacts. Students with a background in earth sciences, geotechnical or geological engineering, materials science, physics or physical chemistry are sought. We are proposing to understand how hydraulic and chemical – water – feedbacks change across fracturing rates through direct experiments (breaking rocks in real life) and using molecular dynamics and ab initio calculations. The combination of these experiments and simulations will provide a first look at rock fracture across the full rate of deformation, and will formally test standing questions about how we universalize rock fracture.

A PhD student in the earth sciences (geophysics, geomechanics, hydrology) will focus on the experimental program. An understanding of mechanics or aqueous geochemistry is desired, as is an attention to detail and ability to work independently on a small team. Much of the work requires detailed manual work. This work will include development of methods, quantitative image analysis, and inverse modeling of rock fracture, with detailed environmental controls.

A PhD student in material science and engineering will focus on the modeling effort. Students with a background in quantum chemistry, or quantum mechanics, materials science, or solid state physics are desired. The student must show attention to detail, ability to work independently and in a team setting. They will be collaborating with earth scientists and working on a combination of solid state chemistry, fluid-surface interactions, and mechanics.

The project is funded by the US DOE Basic Energy Science program, so students from foreign countries are subject to government review.

If you are interested, please contact Drs. Alex Rinehart ([email protected]) and Deep Choudhuri ([email protected]).

Geochemistry:

Alex Gysi: MS projects are available in hydrothermal geochemistry of rare earth elements in the Ore Deposits and Critical Minerals Research group. More infos on current research from postdocs and students can be found here.

Nicole Hurtig: Various projects in economic geology, hydrothermal experimental geochemistry, geothermal energy and mineralogy. Contact me for more information ([email protected]).

Geology:

Evolution of the La Jencia Basin, Rio Grande Rift

Ryan Leary: This project will study the sedimentologic and paleoclimate evolution of the La Jencia basin, a sub-basin of the Rio Grande Rift just northwest of Socorro. This basin contains ~4 km of Miocene-Pleistocene lacustrine, fluvial, and alluvial fan strata that have never seen any detailed sedimentologic or provenance research. The exposure is excellent, there are numerous interbedded tuffs which will provide excellent age control, and it's about a 40 min drive from NMT. Research will be field- and laboratory-based, and the graduate student working on this project should expect to spend ~6 weeks in the field spread over their first year at NMT.

Kevin Hobbs: An EDMAP-funded MS project is available that involves field mapping of structural relationships at a small dike in San Juan County, New Mexico. The age, compositional variation, and emplacement mechanisms of this dike are unknown and will be investigated with a combination of field and laboratory methods. To fulfill EDMAP requirements, student must complete a GIS-based geologic map of the field area, and therefore should have some experience with ArcGIS. Student will gain experience in argon geochronology in the New Mexico Geochronologic Research Laboratory. Student must have competency in field geology and be comfortable with ~8 weeks of solo field work throughout the first academic year and summer.

Geophysics:

John Naliboff: PhD student to work on forward modeling of deformation within the Earth’s tectonic plates. Specific topics may include opening of the Gulf California, transport of volatiles within active subduction zones, and development of new numerical methods to support these activities. Qualified candidates should have a strong foundation in physics, math, and programming, and applicants with degrees in physics, applied math, engineering, and Earth science will all be considered!

Susan Bilek: various projects in environmental seismology, subduction zone earthquake studies

Hydrology:

Dan Cadol: Over the past 4 years, my lab group has collaborated with the Bureau of Reclamation and the US Army Corps of Engineers on bedload sediment research in an ephemeral arroyo near Socorro. We have built a sediment monitoring station that includes direct bedload measurement (pit traps, aka slot samplers) acoustic surrogates (pipe-microphones) and seismic surrogates. I hope to hire one new student to use these results to evaluate and improve the sediment transport modules in the various models that the USACE has developed: HEC-RAS (1- and 2-D), and AdH. The research is motivated by river system management, and the need to maintain sediment continuity, but there are many basic science questions we've been able to pursue, including the seismic work funded by NSF.