Project summary
- Program
- PhD
- Location
- St Lucia
- Research area
- Earth sciences
Project description
Volcanoes at destructive plate boundaries (magmatic arcs) host most explosive eruptions and copper deposits, critical for renewable energy and in rising demand. This project will explore high-resolution geochemical zoning of erupted crystals, and their carrier melts, to uncover how magmatic processes lead to copper mineralisation and explosive volcanism in arc systems.
The project is funded by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship to A/Prof Teresa Ubide. As a team, we will investigate arc systems with a primary focus in Indonesia and involving collaborators in Australia and internationally. We expect to provide new insights into the inner workings of volcanoes, their eruption triggering mechanisms, and their copper enrichment potential.
This PhD project will explore textural and compositional variations in magmatic products with novel geochemical approaches to measure the elemental and isotope composition of minerals grown in magmatic plumbing systems, as well as magmatic liquids trapped at depth or erupted at the surface.
We are looking for a motivated, outstanding student with background in petrology, geochemistry, volcanology and/or economic geology, who would like to contribute to better understanding arc magmas and their links to volcanism and mineralisation! We will mentor the student and encourage them to shape the project according to their research interests.
Research environment
The UQ magma team led by A/Prof Ubide is a young, enthusiastic, and dynamic research group, strongly supported by ARC funding, including the prestigious Future Fellowship funding this PhD project. Students benefit from close supervision and regular team discussions, as well as from access to world-class geochemical facilities hosted at the Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry laboratories (including the RIF lab) and the UQ Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis.
The friendly and collaborative research group enhances cross-germination of ideas and has grown rapidly with motivated students, post-docs and national and international collaborators, generating high-impact scientific outputs and promoting engagement with the general public.
Scholarship
This is an Earmarked scholarship project that aligns with a recently awarded Australian Government grant.
The scholarship includes:
- living stipend of $35,000 per annum tax free (2024 rate), indexed annually
- your tuition fees covered
- single overseas student health cover (OSHC).
Learn more about the Earmarked scholarship.
Supervisor
Principal supervisor
You must contact the principal supervisor for this project to discuss your interest. You should only complete the online application after you have reached agreement on supervision.
Always make sure you are approaching your potential supervisor in a professional way. We have provided some guidelines for you on how to contact a supervisor.
Preferred educational background
Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.
We take into account your:
- previous academic record
- publication record
- honours and awards
- employment history.
A working knowledge of one or several of the following: petrography, analytical skills (e.g., SEM, EPMA, LA-ICP-MS), thermodynamic modelling, diffusion modelling, computational skills, field geology, and experience in presenting research work at conferences and/or as peer-reviewed publications would be of benefit to someone working on this project.
You will demonstrate academic achievement in the field(s) of Earth science or Geology with special focus on petrology, geochemistry, economic geology and/or volcanology and the potential for scholastic success.
A background or knowledge of Igneous petrology, mineral chemistry, ore geology and/or volcanology, together with written and oral communication skills is highly desirable.
If you are interested in magmatic systems and their links with copper mineralisation and explosive volcanism, and you are trained in Earth Sciences, we are looking forward to discussing this opportunity with you.
How to apply
This project requires candidates to commence no later than Research Quarter 1, 2025. To allow time for your application to be processed, we recommend applying no later than 30 September, 2024 30 June, 2024.
You can start in an earlier research quarter. See application dates.
Before you apply
- Check your eligibility for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
- Prepare your documentation.
- Contact Associate Professor Teresa Ubide (t.ubide@uq.edu.au) to discuss your interest and suitability.
When you apply
You apply for this scholarship when you submit an application for a PhD. You don’t need to submit a separate scholarship application.
In your application ensure that under the ‘Scholarships and collaborative study’ section you select:
- My higher degree is not collaborative
- I am applying for, or have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship
- UQ Earmarked Scholarship type.