Senior Research Scientist Position - ‘3DModelSRS1’
3D modeling of Irish Carboniferous Basins and associated Zn-Pb mineral deposits.
The principal objective of this position is to manage a small research team of 4 researchers,
whose main aim is to generate a 3D structure/stratigraphic model of the Carboniferous ZnPb orefield and associated mineral deposits from the analysis of a selection of geological
archives (including national minerals datasets and databases) and 3D models provided by
iCRAG industry partners. Using state-of-the-art structural and stratigraphic analysis and
modelling techniques, the model will cover a range of scales extending from regional down
to the more detailed coverage provided by individual mineral deposits and prospects. 3D
modelling of both geological, geochemical and geophysical data will provide much improved
constraints on basin structure and evolution, and the precise nature of fault-related and
stratigraphically controlled fluid flow and associated localisation of mineralisation. Technical
issues which the research will explore include the following: (i) the definition of links between
structure and depositional facies, (ii) the geometry and structure of bounding faults, including
the importance of segmentation, relays and fault zone complexity in providing feeders and
localising mineralisation, (iii) the geometry and effects of within deposit faults on
mineralisation, including their role as conductive pathways and barriers/baffles to flow, (iv)
the spatial distribution of different breccia types and their impact on mineralisation, and (v)
the geometry of later faults and associated structures of Variscan and Tertiary age. The
resulting model and improved understanding will also provide an invaluable backdrop to
future minerals exploration and research.
Applications are invited from established economic geologists who have worked within and
managed exploration studies within the Irish Zn-Pb Orefield. The successful candidate will
have a very strong working knowledge of economic geology, and particularly of the Irish ZnPb Orefield, with an established career within the minerals industry up to management level.
They will have advanced expertise in, and knowledge of, the full range of geological and
geophysical datasets which are used in mineral exploration in Ireland, and technical
proficiency in the methods used to construct 3D models for mineral exploration and mining.
The successful candidate will join a large applied geoscience research centre, iCRAG, in the
UCD School of Geological Sciences at University College Dublin: iCRAG is a national
research centre with a presence in all of the Irish research institutions involved in
Geosciences. The position is fully funded for 3 years, in the first instance, with a starting
salary of between €50,000 and €70,000, together with provision for conference and field
work expenses. To register your interest in this position, please submit a full CV and contact
details for 2 referees, together with a letter of motivation, to Prof. John Walsh at
john.walsh@ucd.ie from whom further particulars may also be requested. An official on-line
application facility will be in place very soon (details of which will be sent to those who have
registered their interest), and we anticipate that the associated application deadline will be
5th June 2015 for a mid-late 2015 start-up. iCRAG is funded under the SFI Research Centres
Programme and is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund.