The Formation of large-scale vortices on Jupiter and Saturn
The two images above show large-scale flows structures in the polar regions of Jupiter (L) and Saturn (R). These arise from the interaction between convection...
Projects
Please note that the PhD projects listed are examples of projects offered to current CDT students and as such are not generally available to prospective students.
Analysis and control of extreme events using Wetropolis flood demonstrator
The Wetropolis flood demonstrator [1] is a portable set-up designed to provide the general public a visualisation of what a return period is for extreme...
Geometric numerical integration –in geophysical and environmental fluid dynamics
Geometric numerical integration concerns the preservations the geometric and conservative structure of the underlying PDEs. This geometric structure is responsible for the (integral) conservation laws...
Interaction of topography with rotation, convection and magnetic fields
Understanding convection is important in a range of geophysical problems. For example, in the interior of the Earth in the fluid outer core or in...
Sinking Cities: understanding fundamental fluid flow in aquifers for the enhanced detection of earthquake faults in subsiding basins
Omissions in our current understanding of the fundamental behaviour of fluid flow in porous media and its interaction with impermeable barriers such as earthquake faults...
Anelastic convection and tidal flows
The discovery of several thousand planets orbiting other stars is the most exciting development in modern astrophysics. Observations indicate that gravitational tidal interactions between these...
Developing mathematical models to incorporate microstructural heterogeneities into viscous flow
This project will address fundamental aspects of viscous flow arising from the evolution of a complex microstructure in the material, eventually informing efforts to predict...
Morphodynamics of sinuous seafloor channels: using the Lattice Boltzmann Method to couple fluid dynamics to landscape evolution
Fluid-solid multiphase flows in environmental systems repeatedly develop similar landform patterns – understanding why is a fundamental challenge. Modelling of such flows is complicated by...
Laterally Varying Convection in Earth’s Core
Convection within Earth’s fluid core generates the planetary magnetic field; spatial and temporal variations of the geomagnetic field can thus be used to gain insight...
Convective storms, tropical circulation and climate change
This is a mathematical and theoretical project which will explore the relationship between severe storms and large-scale circulation in the atmosphere. The project will also...