4-year postdoctoral research position in coastal paleoseismology

The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Geological Survey of Belgium, Brussels, invites applicants for a 4-year research fellow (postdoctoral level) in coastal paleoseismology/Quaternary environmental change. Starting date: 1 June 2014.

The successful candidate will work in the framework of a 4-year research project, funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office: ‘QuakeRecNankai’ – Paleo-tsunami and earthquake records of ruptures along the Nankai Trough, offshore South-Central Japan.

The main goal of the QuakeRecNankai project is to generate a long time series of tsunami and megathrust earthquake recurrences, in order to gain a better understanding of the complex recurrence patterns, both in space and in time. To this end, the project will investigate the geological record of:

– paleo-tsunami in the Lake Hamana coastal region, a key site located along the Tonankai and Tokai segments,
– paleo-earthquakes, using suitable lakes from further inland locations (e.g. selected lakes in the Mount Fuji area, located along the Tokai segment).

The postdoctoral researcher will need to conduct research on tsunami deposits in the Hamana coastal plain region and will need to combine i) extensive fieldwork ii) advanced sedimentological and geochemical analyses and iii) innovating dating techniques.

The QuakeRecNankai project unites a consortium of international researchers with expertise in paleo-tsunami, tsunami-modelling, limnogeological, paleoseismological and coastal research:

Prof. Marc De Batist – Universiteit Gent, Belgium (coordinator)
Dr. Vanessa Heyvaert – Geological Survey of Belgium, Belgium
Prof. Aurelia Ferrari – Université de Liège, Belgium

Prof. Helmut Bruckner – University of Cologne, Germany
Dr. Osamu Fujiwara – Geological Survey of Japan, Japan
Prof. Yusuke Yokoyama –University of Tokyo, Japan

Profile of the candidate:
– Ph.D. in sciences, Quaternary geology,
– Skills in sedimentology of coastal systems, palaeoseismology, micropaleontology, tsunami deposits are highly desirable.
– Applicants should demonstrate a clear desire for fieldwork in Japan.
– Excellent knowledge of English, both in speaking and writing is required.

Applications
-International candidates are highly encouraged to apply.
– Applications should include a CV, list of publications, a short (1-page) synopsis of previous research achievements and research plans and the names of at least two referees.
– Applications and inquiries should be sent electronically to vanessa.heyvaert@naturalsciences.be.
– Applications close 1 March 2014. However, applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Tweet