Postdoc position, University of Plymouth
Ross Parnell-Turner
Please see below a new postdoctoral position available at the University of Plymouth.
-------------------------------------------------------
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Mid-Ocean Ridge Hydrothermal Systems: University of Plymouth
2-year fixed term position
Application Deadline: 18/05/2026
Intended start date: Sep/Oct 2026 (some flexibility)
Enquiries should be sent to andy.p...@plymouth.ac.uk AND michell...@plymouth.ac.uk
We are seeking a 2-year Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join our NERC-funded project, “LITHO-FLUCHS: A toolbox for constraining lithospheric-to-grainscale controls on fluid-rock interactions in Peridotite-Hosted Hydrothermal Systems (PHHSs)”.
LITHO-FLUCHS aims to constrain how deformation, magmatism, and fluid-rock interactions in PHHSs control the uptake and/or release of H, C, and S. Focus is directed towards the controls of PHHS fluid properties in the deep lithospheric roots of oceanic core complexes (OCCs). This will be achieved through micro-scale analyses (this vacancy) of drill-core samples collected from the Atlantis Massif OCC during IODP Expedition 399 (Lang et al. 2025; https://doi.org/10.14379/iodp.proc.399.104.2025), combined with numerical modelling of PHHSs.
About the role
You will combine quantitative petrographic and petrological techniques (SEM-QEDS) with state-of-the-art, in-situ, trace element and isotope micro-mapping and spot/traverse analyses (fs-LIBS, Vitesse-TOF-ICP-MS, and Neoma-LA-MS/MS-MC-ICP-MS) to quantify spatial and temporal variations of fluid properties with respect to deformation and magmatism within the Atlantis Massif OCC. These analyses will yield a new and fundamentally ground-breaking understanding of the controls of fluid properties in PHHSs, and how those controls dictate H2-production, CO2-uptake, and metal-sulphide mineralization.
You will join our multidisciplinary team of LITHO-FLUCHS investigators consisting of Dr Andy Parsons (Project Lead & Line Manager; microstructural analyses, OCCs, tectonics; Plymouth), Dr Michelle Harris (petrology, mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems; Plymouth), Prof. Sandra Piazolo (deformation processes, micro-analytical techniques; University of Leeds), Dr Ivan Savov (petrology and isotope geochemistry, PHHSs; Leeds), and an additional Postdoctoral Researcher (numerical modelling; Leeds), plus associated postgraduate research students. You will work closely with us and our external collaborators (Dr. Samuele Agostini, Prof. Alberto Zanetti, CNR-Pisa, Italy; Dr Craig Storey; University of Portsmouth) to develop new analytical methods for in-situ analyses of fluid mobile trace elements and isotopes (B, Sr, Li, Cl, F). Additionally, you will work collaboratively with our other LITHO-FLUCHS post-doctoral researcher (Leeds), providing quantitative datasets as inputs for their numerical modelling of PHHSs. This will include extended periods of time spent at analytical facilities at CNR-Pisa, Leeds, and Portsmouth.
At the University of Plymouth, you will join a vibrant, multidisciplinary community of researchers within the Geoscience and Geochemistry research groups, in the School of Geography, Earth, & Environmental Sciences (SoGEES), Faculty of Science and Engineering (FoSE). The role includes opportunities for research and career development training and to present your research findings at international conferences. Your research will also contribute to the wider aims and objectives of IODP Expedition 399 (>40 researchers, >12 countries), providing you with unique opportunities to participate in IODP-led research initiatives and develop your research identity and network within a thriving, cross-disciplinary multi-national research community.
The role requires:
- Essential specialist analytical experience and understanding of isotope geochemistry and petrography with a proven ability to integrate analytical datasets from different techniques and scales.
- The ability to travel and conduct research in multiple locations across the UK and Europe is essential.
- Complementary understanding of hydrothermal systems, OCCs, grain-scale deformation processes, and/or magmatism in oceanic settings is desirable.
Many thanks
Andy
----------------------------------
Dr Andy Parsons (he/him)
Lecturer in Structural Geology & Tectonics / Earth Sciences Admissions Tutor
School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences
University of Plymouth
----------------------------------
----------------------------------
This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, University of Plymouth accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. University of Plymouth does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.