Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

The project will focus on modern dryland fluvial-coastal-deltaic depositional systems of Western Australia integrating remote sensing datasets (e.g., satellite imagery, high resolution airborne LiDAR, ultra-high resolution drone data, ground penetrating radar, shallow seismic data) with surficial sediment sampling and shallow core data. The research will expand on workflows developed by the Quantitative Reservoir Analogues project (QRA) that is focused on facies mapping of depositional element and element complex scales using the relative process-dominance approach (WAVE process-based classification) for wave, tidal and fluvial processes. Based on recognition of litho-/depo-facies and key surfaces from these datasets, the principles of sedimentology, stratigraphy and geomorphology will be applied to: (1) determine the variation in sedimentary facies thickness, texture, and composition to improve understanding of heterogeneity and juxtaposition of elements/element complexes at the ‘subsurface reservoir scale’; (2) reconstruct the controls on landscape evolution and changing coastal-deltaic depositional environments since the last glacial maximum (LGM); and (3) determine the implications of Holocene coastal progradation in wave- vs tide-dominated conditions including the future potential impact of rising sea level on preservation and connectivity of reservoir and sealing facies. It is expected that this multi-disciplinary project will have practical implications by providing a more advanced understanding of reservoir geometry and heterogeneity for ancient coastal-deltaic systems. A quantitative approach is expected and results will be integrated in a GIS database from which key metrics and concepts can be deployed directly into reservoir modelling for hydrocarbon exploration, development and production, subsurface carbon-sequestration, and groundwater management.

Centre for Energy and Climate Geoscience

This interdisciplinary project is hosted by the School of Earth Sciences. Principal supervisor is Prof. Simon Lang (UWA) and co-supervisors are Dr. Victorien Paumard (UWA) and Prof. Annette George (UWA). Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Prof. Simon Lang at simon.lang@uwa.edu.au for more information. Please include a cover letter describing your interest in the field, CV, publications, academic transcripts, relevant supporting documents of prior research, and the names and contact details of two potential referees.

Prospective candidates should have a Masters or Honours degree (first class or equivalent) in geoscience with advanced knowledge and skills in stratigraphy, sedimentology and geomorphology. Candidates must have the ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and good written and oral communication skills. Previous field-based experience in modern depositional environments and a demonstrated advanced capability in the use of GIS (e.g. ArcGIS, QGIS) are preferred. The candidate should be organised, dynamic, curious and able to work in remote field areas.