Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

We are looking to recruit a PhD student to work on the integration of magnetotelluric (MT) data within the potential field inversion platform, Tomofast-x.

The primary objectives of the project are:

·        Developing and extending techniques to integrate MT data with gravity and/or magnetic data within Tomofast-x for cooperative or joint inversion.

·        Extending Tomofast-x to support MT and induced polarization (IP) data, enhancing the platform’s capabilities.

·        Jointly inverting MT data with gravity and magnetic data to improve subsurface imaging.

·        Exploring the use of 1D versus 3D magnetotellurics, starting from 1D and evaluating the potential for running MT inversions in 3D.

·        Investigating the use of wavelet compression with MT/IP data to speed up computations.

·        Applying machine learning methods for the joint inversion of MT, gravity, and magnetic data.

·        Integrating inversion results with geometric inversion techniques for better anomaly shape reconstruction.

The PhD candidate will be expected to collaborate with other PhD students and researchers at UWA, particularly in the use of MT data to constrain the geometrical inversion of gravity and magnetic datasets. The PhD candidate will also be expected to engage in collaborations with government entities (e.g., CSIRO) and industry partners.

With support from lead researchers at UWA, the PhD candidate will contribute to the extension of existing codes and propose, implement, and test new inversion workflows. After validating the proposed methodology, field applications will be conducted in a mineral exploration context using data from Western Australia. The student will also have the opportunity to perform geological interpretations of the results and make recommendations.

This project is supported, in part, by the MinexCRC consortium and involves collaboration with an ARC Industry Fellowship and the Loop consortium. Applicants will need to apply for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship to cover tuition fees at UWA and living expenses:

https://www.uwa.edu.au/study/fees-and-scholarships/hdr-scholarships

International scholarship round for commencement in 2025

Open: 1 July 2024 (00:01 AWST)

Close: 31 August 2024 (23:59 AWST)

Ranking: 1 September – 11 October 2024

Offers from: 11 October 2024 

Commencement: 3 February-31 March 2025

Domestic scholarship round (incl UWA international students) for commencement in 2025

Open: 1 September 2024 (00:01 AWST)

Close: 31 October 2024 (23:59 AWST)

Ranking: 1 November – 5 December 2024

Offers from: 6 December 2024

Commencement: 3 February-31 March 2025

vitaliy.ogarko@uwa.edu.au

jeremie.giraud@uwa.edu.au

Skills in geophysics, physics, and/or numerical geology are essential. Proficiency in Python, or a willingness to learn, is required. Knowledge in mineral exploration and/or economic geology will be appreciated. The ability to work independently and take initiative will be valued.

The project will provide an opportunity to work within a dynamic team of researchers at the University of Western Australia (UWA). A collaboration with a Perth-based exploration company will be organized around code testing and field applications. The student will also have the opportunity to collaborate with national and international institutions. This project is supported, in part, by the MinexCRC consortium and involves collaboration with an ARC Industry Fellowship and the Loop consortium.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a program of independent, supervised research that is assessed solely on the basis of a thesis, sometimes including a creative work component, that is examined externally. The work presented for a PhD must be a substantial and original contribution to scholarship, demonstrating mastery of the subject of interest as well as an advance in that field of knowledge. 

Visit the course webpage for full details of this course including admission requirements, course rules and the relevant CRICOS code/s.