PhD Position Advanced Stochastic Seismic Inversion and Testing to Capture Variability of Damping Ratio in Soil for Accurate Site-response Analysis

The PhD position will be in the Section of Applied Geophysics and Petrophysics and is part of a multi-disciplinary research project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) as part of the DeepNL research initiative Call 2b (DeepNL ).

As a PhD candidate you will be working in the geophysics group and will develop advanced seismic data-inversion schemes to obtain spatially varying, reliable damping-ratio estimates in soil, taking also into account measurement errors. This research will build on ongoing work on full-waveform inversion and machine learning for laterally varying, high-resolution shear-wave velocity and geotechnical information. The final goal is to facilitate a more realistic earthquake site-response analysis through incorporation of 3D heterogeneities in soils. You will interact closely with the other PhD candidate to achieve this goal. See our other vacancy as well PhD Position Nonlinear-dynamics-based Methodology for Improved Interpretation of Geotechnical Experimental Data for accurate Site-response Studies .

You will be responsible for developing a novel stochastic inversion scheme for damping ratio estimation from surface-wave dispersion data together with input from full-waveform inversion, testing the methodology on integrated active- and virtual-source seismic data, performing field tests, and estimating uncertainties. You will benefit from the ongoing 3DSOIL project and the recently completed SOFTTOP project (collaborative projects within DeepNL)

The successful applicant should possess a very good first degree in Applied Geophysics, Civil Engineering or a related field, a strong background in mathematics, and training in seismic inversion/imaging. An affinity for computer programming is essential. This includes skill in implementing/adapting advanced inversion and imaging algorithms and working with different kinds of datasets. Aside from seismic imaging and inversion, it is essential that the student is interested in and has a strong aptitude for statistical/probabilistic methods. Also affinity to do both field- and lab-based research is an essential requirement. The successful candidate is expected to cooperate closely with other members of the DeepNL research team and with colleagues from both geophysics and dynamics of solids and structures backgrounds.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. 

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service . This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme  for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values  and we actively engage  to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport &; Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.

The Department of Geoscience and Engineering encompasses 5 sections: Applied Geology; Applied Geophysics and Petrophysics; Geo-engineering; Resource Engineering; and Reservoir Engineering. The present PhD project will be a collaboration between the Sections of Applied Geophysics and of Dynamics of Solids and Structures.

The Section of Applied Geophysics and Petrophysics executes a programme of fundamental and applied scientific research and education in exploration, engineering and environmental geophysics and petrophysics (https://www.tudelft.nl/citg/over-faculteit/afdelingen/geoscience-engineering/sections/applied-geophysics-petrophysics/research ). The Section has 12 full-time and 4 part-time academic staff, and 38 PhD and postdoctoral researchers. The Section actively contributes to the IDEA League Joint Master's Programme in Applied Geophysics, together with ETH Zurich and RWTH Aachen University. The Section has good computation facilities and advanced infrastructure and instruments for field and laboratory experimental studies. The Section of Dynamics and Structures (https://www.tudelft.nl/citg/over-faculteit/afdelingen/engineering-structures/sections-labs/dynamics-of-solids-and-structures) has 2 full-time and 3 part-time academic staff, and 11 PhD and Post-Doctoral researchers. The Section has a world-class expertise in the dynamics of a very broad range of civil engineering structures. Research projects typically deal with vibration and wave propagation problems of those structures in the interaction with their environments (soil, sea, air). The Dynamics Section takes care of key courses in the BSc and MSc programmes Civil Engineering and in the MSc programme Environmental Engineering, both in the base of the programmes and in the specialisation parts.

The work in both Sections is fundamental in nature but driven by application; it contributes to the development of a clean and sustainable society. Also, both Sections have very good links with the industry.    

For additonal information (other than application procedure), please contact Ranajit Ghose ([email protected] ) or Karel van Dalen ([email protected] ).    

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 30 April 2024 via the application button and upload: 

• A letter of application
• A detailed CV
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Abstract of your MSc thesis (1 page)
• The names and contact details of 2 referees. 

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-Employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.