SCAR: Seafloor Channel Architecture Reconstruction
- Academic lead
- Dr Alan Burns (School of Chemical and Process Engineering) - lead academic supervisor
- Industrial lead
- Prof Bill McCaffrey, Turbidites Research Group (School of Earth and Environment)
- Co-supervisor(s)
- Dr Rob Dorrell (School of Earth and Environment), Hajime Naruse (Kyoto University)
- Project themes
- Environmental Flows, Geophysical flows, Particulate flows, sediments & rheology
The project will model the stratigraphic architecture of evolving seafloor channel networks through delivery of 3 key research goals:
- Development of reduced complexity short-time-scale models of turbidity current flow through submarine channels, modified by overspill.
- Prediction of overspill-driven long-time-scale channel evolution to avulsion.
- Development of process-based channel networks models that enable differentiation of internally-driven (autogenic) and externally-forced (allogenic) effects.
Conceptual and theoretical models derived from experimental, computational and/or theoretical models will be used to better understand deposit distribution in such systems. Model results will be applied to better predict potential hydrocarbon reservoir sands and interpret geologic records the deep sea sediment fans provide. The student will benefit from integration into a broad research group studying deep marine sediment transport process. He/she will further benefit from the opportunity to work with the petroleum industry in order to best enhance the impact of fundamental research challenges.