Job Information
- Organisation/Company: Université de Strasbourg
- Department: Direction des ressources humaines
- Research Field: Other
- Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2)
- Positions: Postdoc Positions
- Application Deadline: 16 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris)
- Country: France
- Type of Contract: Temporary
- Job Status: Full-time
- Offer Starting Date: 16 Sep 2026
- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Not funded by a EU programme
Offer Description
Research project or operation
This post-doc position is within the framework of the European Research Council SYNERGY grant ROTTnROCK ("assessing the role of hydrothermal alteration on volcano morphology, instability, and unpredictable volcanic hazards"). ROTTnROCK is a collaborative project with four PIs: Michael Heap (Strasbourg, France), Claire Harnett (Dublin, Ireland), Thomas Walter (GFZ Potsdam, Germany), and Valentin Troll (Uppsala, Sweden). A summary of the ROTTnROCK project is as follows:
"More than 10% of the world’s population are at risk to the direct impacts of volcanic eruptions. Volcano monitoring aims to detect and correctly interpret volcanic hazards and to provide early and accurate warnings of impending eruptions. Yet, despite technical and scientific advances, volcanoes still produce unexpected explosive eruptions or sudden flank collapses. Each year, such unpredictable events result in volcanic disasters that devastate unprepared communities and destroy unprotected infrastructures. Previous work by the PIs indicates that volcanic hazards are caused by hydrothermal alteration, which progressively and imperceptibly changes the chemical and physical state of rocks inside a volcano, creating a soft and unstable (or “rotten”) interior. However, the link between “soft” volcanoes and unpredictable volcanic events remains enigmatic. The ROTTnROCK project aims to achieve a ground-breaking advance in our understanding of hydrothermal alteration processes that act inside active volcanic systems. Specifically, we will identify where and at which scales alteration occurs (WP1), explore the chemical fingerprint of alteration and effects on rock properties and strength using laboratory methods (WP2), and develop 4D volcano stability simulations and, therefore, an innovative and optimised hazard assessment workflow (WP3). The ROTTnROCK project combines innovative approaches from traditionally distinct geoscience disciplines (remote sensing, mineralogy and chemistry, rock mechanics, and modelling). This project will revolutionise our understanding of hydrothermal alteration and its effects on volcano hazards, and pave the way for strategies to forecast and mitigate unexpected volcanic events caused by hydrothermal alteration and circumvent disasters at volcanoes worldwide."
Activities
- Description of the research activities: The successful candidate will work on WP2 of the ROTTnROCK project: exploring the influence of hydrothermal alteration on the physical and mechanical properties of volcanic rocks. To do so, the candidate will perform laboratory experiments (e.g., uniaxial and triaxial deformation experiments, measurements of porosity and permeability, alteration experiments etc.) on volcanic rocks, as well as field-based measurements. The candidate may also be expected to perform additional analyses and modelling, as well as analyse and interpret different types of data (petrophysical, geochemical). The candidate may also be expected to participate in, and organise, field work to conduct field measurements and to collect rock samples from field sites located inside and outside the EU, and to attend national and international conferences. The candidate will be expected to be able to write scientific abstracts and manuscripts in English.
- Related activities: The successful candidate will be expected to participate in the wider ROTTnROCK project. Therefore, the candidate will be expected to exchange with other members of the ROTTnROCK team, and potentially participate in collaborative and multidisciplinary projects. The candidate may also be expected to attend ROTTnROCK meetings and participate in group ROTTnROCK fieldwork. Because the project is funded by the EU, the candidate will be expected to abide by the rules outlined by the EU, as well as by the ROTTnROCK consortium, such as the filling of monthly timesheets.
Skills
- Qualifications/knowledge: The successful candidate must hold a PhD in a field related to geosciences. A PhD or experience in volcanology would be an advantage.
- Operational skills/expertise: Candidates with a strong understanding of volcanology will be preferred. Candidates with an understanding of volcanology, and with experience performing laboratory experiments and/or field-based geophysical measurements, will be preferred. Candidates with experience studying hydrothermal alteration will also be preferred.
- Personal qualities: The successful candidate should be comfortable working within an international team of scientists. The candidate should be comfortable working in a laboratory, as well as planning and conducting fieldwork. Candidates with experience in independent research, with a strong publication history, experience supervising research, and with excellent communication and organisation skills will be preferred.
Workplace: ITES (Strasbourg, France)
Desired level of education: PhD obtained within the last three years
Experience required: Ph.D
Where to apply
Website: https://www.unistra.fr/fr/recrutement/post-doc-en-volcanologie-experimentale-hf-1
Requirements
- Research Field: Other
- Education Level: PhD or equivalent
Internal Application form(s) needed
fiche_poste_postdoc_anglais_ROTTnROCK3.pdf (73.66 KB - PDF)
fiche_poste_postdoc_français_ROTTnROCK3.pdf (153.17 KB - PDF)
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 1
- Company/Institute: ITES (Strasbourg, France)
- Country: France
Contact
- City: Strasbourg
- Website: https://www.unistra.fr/
- Street: 4 rue Blaise Pascal
- Postal Code: 67000
- E-Mail: heap@unistra.fr
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