It’s time for our yearly introduction to the EGU Geodynamics blog team!
The EGU General Assembly has passed and after a couple of weeks of recovery, we are thrilled to present the blog team for the upcoming year 2023-2024, featuring some familiar and fresh new faces. Our new team will start posting from next month onward. We’re delighted to announce that the new EGU GD blog team now consists of 2 co-editors, 12 regular writers, 3 illustrators, 1 sassy scientist and 3 social media communicators! We are still looking for another sassy scientist (i.e. description) so do not hesitate to contact us! Come and get to know more about our blog editors and illustrators, and reach out to us if you have any ideas, individuals or pieces of research you’d like to see featured on the blog.
The Blog Team
Michaël Pons
Hi readers! I am Michael Pons, a Postdoc at GFZ in Potsdam. I used to be a regular editor of the incredible EGU Geodynamics blog which was the opportunity for me to uncover new topics of discussion and meet as well as highlight new individuals. Following Iris departure I become now the new co-editor-in-chief and I hope to maintain the vision and direction that Iris established for the blog. Obviously the success of this blog is mostly due to an incredible team effort ! So briefly, who am I? In the last few years, I have been diving on numerical modelling of orogenic processes associated with the formation of the amazing Andes. Recently, I have joined the MEET project (Monitoring Earth Evolution Through Time) where we develop a new generation of global scale models of the earth (with surface processes!). Overall, my research interests range from mantle and lithosphere dynamics to surface processes. I also enjoy trekking, camping and taking night sky pictures ! We are always looking for new individuals to tell their stories, you can reach me at my e-mail or via my Twitter @MichaPons.
Constanza Rodriguez Piceda
Hola! I’m Constanza and this year I started as blog editor-in-chief. I’m excited to co-manage this incredible team! I’m a geologist from Argentina, currently doing a postdoc at the University of Plymouth (UK). My main motivation to study Geology was to be out in the field, but through my studies I got seduced by the dark side of Geophysics and numerical modelling, so now I spend most of my time coding behind a computer. In essence, I use numerical modelling to study the physical mechanisms driving the occurrence of earthquakes, from the lithosphere to the fault scale. Currently my research focuses on how normal faults interact between each other affecting their seismic cycle. My other favourite topics are subduction zones, particularly flat-slab dynamics. During my free time, I enjoy going for a hike and doing landscape or macro-photography; reading, watching movies, playing table-tennis and attending food festivals. You can contact me via e-mail or Twitter @crpiceda.
Megan Holdt
Hi everyone! I’m a postdoc in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. My research focuses on investigating how mantle convection influences a variety of surface processes, such as dynamic topography, heat flow and volcanism. I am also interested in how our understanding of lithosphere-asthenosphere dynamics can be used to accelerate the uptake of geothermal energy. As an Aussie living in the UK, I am making the most of my time here by travelling whenever I get the chance! This is my second year as an editor, and I am looking forward to sharing your research through the blog as well as keeping you informed on EGU and the General Assembly! If you have an idea for our blog, feel free to reach me via e-mail.
Jamison Assunção
Greetings, pretty people! I’m Jamison Assunção, a PhD student from the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of São Paulo. With a specialization in geophysics, I delve into the field of geodynamic modeling. My research focuses on the subduction of the Nazca Plate and its implications on the evolution of foreland basins, with a specific emphasis on the Peruvian flat-slab subduction and its implications for the Amazon basin. Furthermore, I actively contribute to the Mandyoc numerical code for mantle convection, have started exploring subduction initiation, and have begun implementing phase change in my work at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. In my spare time, I like critiquing movies, dropping one-line jokes, and I write thorough descriptions of geodynamic processes for my DnD campaigns. If you wish to contact me, you can reach me via my e-mail.
Soumyajit Basak
Hello readers ! Myself Soumyajit Basak , currently a Final year student of IIT Bombay pursuing MSc in Applied Geology. It’s been always a pleasure to know more closely about our home “Earth” and here lies the beauty of Earth Sciences. I am interested in continuing my career in Oil and Gas industries after I conclude my studies. Besides the academics I am very creative person and mostly spend my spare times by making digital illustrations , reading books and singing. I’m very glad to be a part of GD blog team as an illustrator. You can reach me via e-mail.
Betti Hegyi
Hello there! I’m Betti, and I’m a third year PhD student at ETH Zürich. I love everything related to tectonics, geodynamics and seismology, and I’m working on the numerical modelling of earthquake cycles in subduction zones. When I’m not in my office doing coding, I usually go out and try new coffee shops, take long walks around Lake Zürich (with the newly purchased coffee), or just go home and read my favorite books. I also enjoy travelling and meeting new people, and doing yoga after a long day of work. I’m really excited to be a blog editor this year! You can find me on Twitter @BettiHegyi, or you can reach me via e-mail.
Emily Hinshaw
Hi everyone! My name is Emily Hinshaw and I am a current PhD student at ETH Zurich. I am a part of the structural geology and tectonics research group where I study deformation and earthquake processes along the subduction interface. I’m thrilled to be part of the blog team as an illustrator ! In my free time, I enjoy reading, camping, and hiking. You can find me on Twitter @geo_hinshaw.
Prachi Kar
Hello, I am Prachi Kar. I am a graduate research assistant at School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University. I use numerical modeling to investigate the structure, dynamics and evolution of Earth’s lower mantle. So, I spend a lot of time in front of a computer, writing mantle convection codes. I occasionally do some high pressure experiments using a multi anvil press to look for stability of certain minerals in lower mantle pressure-temperature conditions. Other than my research, I am very much passionate about painting and digital illustrations. For the GD blog team I work as an illustrator as well as an editor. You can reach me via e-mail.
Zhibin Lei
Hi, I’m Lei. I have recently earned my PhD degree at Cardiff University. I am now preparing myself for the coming career path. I am enthusiastic in investigating the interaction between lithosphere and mantle flow underneath, e.g., subduction, pluming, rifting etc. Geoscience nourishes my global view, which drives me with a strong curiosity to explore and understand the different cultures, histories and especially the food!! You can find more about me at https://zhibinlei.github.io/, Twitter @Lei_geodynamics and reach me via email.
Giridas Maiti
Hi everyone! I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany. Currently I am investigating the possible factors that triggered slab breakoff or tearing processes in the Alps and their impacts on the tectonics of North Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB) employing a 3D thermo-mechanical numerical modelling approach. My current research is funded by DFG, Germany and it is part of the 4DMB project. I completed my PhD from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India. During my PhD, I worked on the exhumation dynamics of high to ultra-high pressure rocks in the Himalayan wedge and the spatio-temporal evolution of the Himalaya-Tibet mountain system (the grandness of the Himalayas has always intrigued me!) using numerical geodynamic models. Apart from my research work, I love travelling, trekking and hiking in the mountains (mostly in the Himalaya!). I am also a classical guitar enthusiast, playing western classical music on the guitar during my leisure time. Besides that, I am a regular practitioner of yoga and meditation to remain relaxed and balanced in my daily life. I am excited to join the blog as an editor. You can reach me via e-mail or Twitter @giridasmaiti.
Lorenzo Mantiloni
Hello everyone! I’m Lorenzo, a PhD student at the University of Potsdam and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). In the last few years, I have been playing a lot with numerical and analogue models of the stress state and the propagation of magmatic dykes in the Earth’s crust and within volcanoes, with a few headaches along the way. The goal is to help forecasting where future eruptions will occur in densely-populated volcanic areas, so I’m not short of motivation, nor challenges. I’m originally from a small village in Tuscany, near an extinct volcano, so I guess it was destiny that I ended up here. I spend most of my working day in front of a PC, but gelatine models are a very welcome distraction, and I absolutely love field trips whenever I get the chance to join one. My work-life balance is quite awful, as is my sleep schedule, so there is not much time for hobbies these days, but that’s not always the case. I used to do theatre back in Italy, something that I miss a lot. I love hiking, travelling and getting to know people and their culture. I’m a history enthusiast and definitely a food zealot: I easily get triggered if pineapple pizza or, worse, carbonara with cream are mentioned. You can contact me via email.
Ameha Atnafu Muluneh
Selam, I´m Ameha from Ethiopia. I have been a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt foundation at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geodynamics, Potsdam, since December 2021. I also hold an Associate Professor position at School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. I am interested in lots of things, most of them are related with (continental) rifts. My research broadly focuses on understanding the formation of plate boundaries. I use geodynamic models, and data from GPS, focal mechanism, and field tectonics/structural geology. Together with smart colleagues from different institutes, I am trying to model the effect of magma in strain localization in rifts. I play football to distract myself from worrying too much about rifts. As the co-editor of the Geodynamics blog, my mission is to encourage those who devoted their career to studying the different aspects of rifts, whether it is oceanic or continental. So, if you have some ideas for the blog, feel free to contact me via e-mail.
Rajani Shrestha
Hi and Namaste again everyone! I am a novice seismologist and I enjoy listening to the stories of the Earth. I am glad to be continuing my role as an EGU Geodynamics blog editor this year. I will be graduating with my master’s in Geological Sciences from the University of Delaware over the summer. For my master’s research, I studied the anisotropic signals along the eastern passive margin of the US to investigate what they tell us about the past tectonics and the current mantle dynamics. When I am free, I love to write poems and spend time in the nature. I am also deeply interested in building/participating in mentorship programs targeted towards women in geosciences. If you are interested in learning what I found in my MS project or just want to connect with a fellow geoscience enthusiast, feel free to reach out to me via e-mail or Twitter @SeismoRi.
Kleoniki (Lydia) Theodoridou
Hi everyone! I am a Geologist with a master´s degree in Risk and Disaster Science from University College London. I have always wanted to create a safer, greener and resilient world, therefore my research interests are mainly focused on the concept of Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Justice, and Business Continuity management. Apart from that, I love travelling, dancing Latin dances, and getting to know with different people and cultures, it is something that fills my heart with joy. I am originally from Greece, so if you ever need any travelling tips for Greek island-hoping you know the person where you can turn to! I am really excited to be part of the GD team as an Editor for my second year! You can reach me via e-mail or follow me on Twitter.
Srivatsan Vedavyas
Hello and welcome! My name is Srivatsan, and I am a Ph.D. student at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. By investigating the evolution of microstructures and their impact on large-scale geodynamic processes, my research allows me to move across scales. When I’m not talking, working, or thinking about deformation processes, I’m reading novels/books, learning to code, writing short passages, or going for a bike (the old-fashioned mechanical kind, not the cool motorized kind) ride. I’m thrilled to be a first-time editor for the GD blog and to meet other people who share my curiosity about what makes our blue planet tick. I am always interested in discussing geodynamics and can be reached via e-mail.
Katherine Villavicencio
Hi dear readers! I am (finally) finishing my PhD in Planetary Sciences. My thesis was focused on performing numerical geodynamic models within the outer ice shell of Ganymede. There, I investigated which are the parameters that might provoke melting within the ice shell varying some parameters such as thickness, melting viscosity, and geometry. I am also interested in other icy moons like Enceladus, Iapetus, Titan, and Europa; they are just a fascinating world where (some of them) might have favourable conditions for harbouring life. Besides icy moons, I love travelling, meeting new people, discovering and learning about other cultures, new languages, and the beach which is my meditative favourite place. Feel free to contact me via e-mail or Twitter @katevillv if you want to talk about icy moons or travels.
Gokul Venu Sreebindu
Hello everyone, Gokul here. I am a Ph.D. candidate currently working on the project titled ‘The Structure, Rheology and Tectonic Evolution of the lithosphere in the northeast Indian Ocean.’ My Ph.D. is a joint program with Monash University, Australia, and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India, as host institutions. During my research, my attention was caught by one of the most intriguing geophysical signatures known as the Indian Ocean Geoid Low. Through my research, I attempt to understand the lithospheric and mantle processes beneath the Indian ocean to explain this entity. I tend to escape from the hectic research life by taking long drives deep into the woods. With my interests in photography, I try to capture human emotions as a street portrait photographer. Feel free to ping me through my e-mail or Twitter @gokul_geo to discuss science, photography, or travel.
The Sassy Scientist
Dear reader, I am still here – bursting with excitement to enlighten you with my wisdom for the fourth year running at this most esteemed blog of EGU. I am still the expert of any conceivable field within the Earth Sciences and my experience of academia knows no bounds. If only. I solely dedicate my free time to helping you, dear reader, to navigate this labyrinth of science. So why not send me an e-mail with your burning questions? I am still waiting for you right here.
Our social media team consists of 3 members, Megan Holdt who is also our ECS representative and regular editor, Lukas Fuchs and Duo Zhang.
Lukas Fuchs
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Geodynamics working group at the Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Germany. My research work focuses on the investigation of global mantle convection with focus on large deformation and the interaction between the interior dynamics and the surface deformation. Thereby, I am especially interested in the effect of strain-dependent weakening rheology and strain-localization processes, the self-consistent formation and localization of plate boundaries in global scale geodynamic models, and the importance of rheological memory and how tectonic inheritance affect plate dynamics on a larger time scale. You can reach me via e-mail or on twitter @LuckyDeFuxe.
Duo Zhang
Hello everyone! I’m Duo, a fourth year PhD student from School of Earth and Environmental Sciences of Cardiff University. My interest is plate behaviors in a subduction system, especially back-arc extension on the overriding plate. I am running 2D numerical models to explore them by the open source code Fluidity. I am also interested in parameters of rheology, I am investigating how each deformation mechanism of composite rheology influences plate behaviors. You can contact me via email zhangd27@cardiff.ac.uk.
