Curious about figuring out why rocks break, specifically limestones? You would like a job with a mix of desk‑ and lab‑work? This hands‑on experimental PhD position might be something for you!
Half of sedimentary formations worldwide consist of limestone, which is highly chemically reactive at all depths where engineering activities take place. The project investigates how the chemical interaction between different fluids and limestone changes the failure behaviour of limestone rocks, and how we can improve monitoring and predictions of fluid migrations and seismicity using a combination of geophysical and chemical methods. The mechanical data generated will be crucial to assess the risk of leakage or induced seismicity in subsurface engineering projects, such as CO₂ storage or geothermal energy.
We are looking for someone who takes on the challenge to figure out how different fluid types affect the brittle‑ductile transition in limestone, by:
- Characterizing the brittle‑ductile transition in three different limestone types.
- Systematically exploring the effect of fluid additives on failure behaviour under specific conditions.
- Using the data to develop new acoustic monitoring techniques to predict rock failure.
- Testing the newly designed monitoring techniques on dm‑scale samples together with the team.
- Presenting the work at international conferences and workshops.
The research will be carried out in the Delft Rock Mechanics lab in collaboration with Strasbourg (Unistra) and Lausanne (EPFL), under the NWO‑VIDI project “BRITTLENESS”. The PhD supervisor will be Dr. Auke Barnhoorn.
Job requirements
Someone excited about laboratory work, with a hands‑on attitude, programming skills in Matlab or Python, strong analytical and communication skills, and English working proficiency.
Required at the time the position starts (summer/autumn 2026)
- An MSc in Geoscience, Geology, Geotechnical Engineering, Physics, or Chemistry, with a curriculum that includes Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics.
- Affinity and enthusiasm for laboratory work.
- Programming skills sufficient to develop data analysis routines.
- Excellent analytical skills.
- Strong communication skills to interact with supervisors, technical staff and fellow experimentalists.
- English working proficiency (oral and written).
Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates will be offered a four‑year period of employment, typically via two contracts: an initial 1.5‑year contract followed by an additional 2.5‑year contract, subject to performance and progression assessment.
Salary and benefits
The salary follows the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, ranging from €3,059 to €3,881 gross per month (first to fourth year for a full‑time contract). The package includes an 8 % holiday allowance, an end‑of‑year bonus of 8.3 %, health‑insurance discounts, a monthly work‑costs contribution, and flexible work schedules.
EEO statement
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#J-18808-Ljbffr€3059 - €3881 monthly