Recent publications

Schouten, H., D.K. Smith, L.G.J. Montési, W. Zhu, and E. M. Klein, 2008. Cracking of lithosphere north of the Galapagos triple junction, Geology, 36(5), 339–342, doi:10.1130/G24431A.1. Link to article

Montési, L.G.J., and M.D. Behn, 2007. Mantle flow and melting underneath Mid-Ocean Ridges, Geophysical Research Letters, 34, L24307, doi:10.1029/2007GL031067. Link to article

Zhu W., L.G.J. Montési, and T.-f. Wong, 2007. A micromechanics model of stress-induced anisotropic permeability reduction during compactive cataclastic flow, J. Geophys. Res., 112, B10207, doi:10.1029/2006JB004456. Link to article

Gregg, P., J. Lin, M.D. Behn, and L.G.J. Montési, 2007. Spreading rate dependence of the gravity structure of oceanic transform faults. Nature, 448, 183-187, doi: 10.1038/nature05962. Link too article

Montési, L.G.J., 2007. A constitutive model for layer development in shear zones near the brittle-ductile transition. Geophysical Research Letters, 34, L08307, doi:10.1029/2007GL029250. Link to article

Student Opportunities

We are looking for a few good people

Come and join the fun in the new geodynamics group at the University of Maryland.

In addition to your principal advisor, you will benefit from the presence of one the best geochemistry group and a young and dynamic geophysics group. All of that within easy reach of Washington D.C.

You can work on this for a few months (undergraduate intern), for a Master, for a PhD. We will adapt each project to your personal goals

Look for details on exiting projects in the research section of this website and do not hesitate to contact me with any question

Possible projects themes include

Study magma migration or tectonic deformation in 3D usign Finite Element and possibly mesh refinement.

  • Depending on YOUR interest, these projects can be programmation-intensive (developing new software based on the deal.II Adaptative Mesh Refinement library) or application intensive.
  • One category of applications addresses 3D mantle flow underneath plate boundaries. You may choose segmented mid-ocean ridges, non-steady-state subduction, or lithosphere delamination.
  • Another application area address the formation of ductile shear zone. In this case, you will implement novel constitutive relations that are expected to produce ductile shear zones and determine lithosphere-scale flow pattern in plate boundaries. You may choose applications to the San Andreas Fault, the Himalayas, or Tectonic featres on Venus.

Develop postprocessing toolkits

  • Facilitate the comparison of modeling results with data by generating synthetic gravity, geochemical databased, or strain calculations for Finite Element models developed separately

Inversion framework and data mining

  • Implement ensemble inversion technique to the comparison between geodetic data and numerical models.
  • Look for patterns and relations in 3D noisy datasets, especially seismicity using cluster detection algorithms
  • Automatize the detection of linear or circular geological feature on the surface of various planets using wavelets

Online tools

  • Construct a java-based calculator of strength envelopes to be uses by the wider Earth science community

 

Department of Geology

University of Maryland

College Park, Maryland 20742

Phone:               (301) 405 7534l Fax: (301) 314-9661

Email:                montesi@umd.edu

Website:            http://www.geol.umd.edu/~montesi