Sill emplacement and magma storage
I compare discrete sill injections with a distributed heat source. The resulting thermal histories help me calculate zircon ages and distinguish storage from eruptive regimes in the models.
01 / Research
Modeling magma
and rock.
My research interests center on the evolution of magmatic systems, from repeated sill injection to central-vent caldera collapse. I use one-dimensional thermal models, two-dimensional thermo-mechanical models, and GPU-capable Julia code to study different parts of that problem.
Central-vent caldera collapse
My published models follow magma withdrawal through a central vent. Chamber geometry affects whether the roof subsides as a block or breaks along radial faults, and how much pressure must fall before failure.
Shear bands and resolution
I test whether simulated faults change as the grid gets finer. In a 40,946 × 40,946-cell model, major shear bands persist while smaller features appear as the rock starts to yield.
Open-source geodynamics
I co-develop JustRelax.jl, the Julia framework behind the caldera and shear-band models. I also contribute to GeophysicalModelGenerator.jl and GeoParams.jl.
Caldera collapse model
When the roof fails.
This supplementary animation from my caldera paper shows the chamber and surrounding crust deforming as magma is withdrawn.
Shear-band model
What finer grids reveal.
This animation zooms into my 40,946 × 40,946-cell model of shear-band formation. I use it to examine the small faults that develop when the rock begins to yield.
