Volcano transient source processes constrained InSAR and in situ observations

Volcano transient source processes constrained by InSAR and in situ observations

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Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code

0138-NPP-MAR
26-JPL-Earth Sci

How To Apply

All applications must be submitted in Zintellect. Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements:

How to Apply

| NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org)

A complete application to the NASA Postdoctoral Program includes:

• Research proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official doctoral transcript documents

Final date to receive applications

3/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

About the NASA Postdoctoral Program

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Description:

Our goal is to further improve our understanding of volcanoes temporal evolution through the use of space-based geodetic data sets (InSAR and GNSS) and lava lake observations. InSAR and GPS techniques allow to capture the movements of volcanic edifices caused by magma pressure fluctuations occurring within the crust, while the presence of persistent lava lake at volcanoes can provide valuable information as they are often recognized as a "direct window of observation" into the underlying magmatic plumbing system and lava lakes elevation fluctuate in response to magma motion h geodetic and lava lake elevation time series help therefore further constraining magma pressure temporal evolution within magmatic plumbing systems caused by magma transport and storage.

Kilauea volcano in Hawaii and Nyiragongo volcano in Republic Democratic of Congo are both similarly monitored by space-based geodesy as well as in situ and remote sensing lava lake observations. The remarkably long and continuous data sets available for these two volcanoes provide an unique opportunity to study, in a comparative manner, their decadal dynamical evolution and to understand the mechanisms causing the phases of successive pressure build up and pressure release leading up to their recent large eruptions that occurred in 2018 and 2021 for Kilauea and Nyiragongo respectively.

Our focus will be on investigating their decadal dynamical behavior by combining geodetic and lava lake time series with the design and the study of models governing the interactions of few key variables such as magma pressure in reservoirs and magma flows in between them. To improve upon common models used to study the dynamics of volcanic systems, we will be investigating the role of inelastic deformation of the crust occurring as the magma fractures and damages the surrounding rocks, as well as magma transport characterized by varying flow resistance causing valve-like mechanisms enabling or preventing transient magma flows.

In order to broaden the impact of our research, we also aim to compare our models results to behaviors observed at volcanoes that lie in the high priority to NASA, including volcanoes in the Galapagos, Iceland, Latin America, the western Pacific, in addition to Kilauea and Nyiragongo volcanoes.

Location:

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Field of Science: Earth Science

Advisors:

Paul R. Lundgren

paul.r.lundgrena.gov

Applicants with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

Eligibility is currently open to:

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status; and,
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with
  1) a valid EAD card and
  2) I-485 or I-589 forms in pending status

Questions about this opportunity? Please email npp

Point of Contact

Mikeala

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree:
  Doctoral Degree.