Assoc Prof. Fabio Capitanio Research Projects

PhD positions are available to work with Associate Professor Fabio A. Capitanio at Monash University’s School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment (SEAE), in Melbourne, Australia. A/Prof Capitanio is looking for motivated, talented and enthusiastic PhD students with an interest in computational modelling of geological processes on our and neighbouring planets. The projects are cutting-edge in the field, with a strong base of research funding, excellent resources and state-of-the-art computational facilities.

Projects details

Assessing the impact of extreme climates on landslides. The landscape of our planet is continuously reshaped by the competition between deep tectonics and surface processes. Climate carves landscapes through the action of rainfall runoff, erosion and landslides, triggering the response of the deep Earth, restoring/rearranging elevation through flexure and mantle rebound. Mounting evidence of such feedback is reported, highlighting how extreme climate has triggered events such as landslides and earthquakes at an unprecedented scale. In a scenario of growing climatic extremes, understanding the hazard associated with climate-triggered catastrophic landslides has an obvious societal impact. This project will use a state-of-the-art geodynamic modelling framework to model the evolution of large-scale mountain slopes to assess their stability under the perturbation of extreme climate, from increased rainfall to seasonality, and their interaction with mountain building processes. Collaborators from international institutions participate in the project and there is the possibility of applications to specific areas. The project is flexible and can be adapted to the student’s interests in the field. The project is fully computational, and the student will be offered support and training in high performance computing, and peta-scale computation.

Evolution of rocky  planets. The enigmatic surface structures of Venus and Mars hold the key to the evolution of planets and their differentiation into a quiescent rocky body, or a blue planet, thriving with life. Many tectonic and magmatic processes on these planets are analogous to the Earth’s setting the context for diverse, yet comparable, geodynamic evolutions. This project will use a state-of-the-art thermo-chemo-mechanical modelling to address the tectonic evolution of neighbouring rocky planets and the key factor determining where tectonics can successfully contribute to the formation of atmosphere and life. Collaborators from international institutions participate in the project. The project is flexible and can be adapted to the student’s interests in the field. The project is fully computational, and the student will be offered support and training in high performance computing, and peta-scale computation.

Scholarship details

The 3.5 year PhD scholarship includes all course fees and a ~$33,000 AUD per year tax-free living stipend. Project costs will be borne by ARC Discovery grant funds awarded to Prof. Tomkins.

Applicants for whom English is not your first language, you will need to meet the English Language Requirements of the University.

Monash and the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment

Monash University is ranked in the top 50 universities in the world, and is a member of the Group of Eight, a coalition of top Australian universities recognised for their excellence in teaching and research. The School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment is a friendly and dynamic unit with a recognised strength in solid Earth geoscience. Monash University is located in Melbourne, one of the most liveable cities in the world and a cultural and recreational hub.

Application process

Interested candidates should send their CV, academic transcripts and a brief outline of research interests and motivation to Fabio Capitano. Successful applicants will have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree with a high grade in a significant research project (thesis equivalent to an Australian first-class honours), or a MSc degree (with a thesis component) in a relevant field (i.e., earth science/geoscience). Candidates with research experience (hons/masters) in planetary science are preferred. Candidates with no background in a related discipline will not be considered. Monash PhD scholarships are highly competitive and successful applicants often have relevant additional research experience and/or research publications in international journals. Review of applications will begin immediately and short-listed candidates will be contacted for more information and invited to interview.