Researcher in Experimental Physical Chemistry and Hydrates

Researcher in Experimental Physical Chemistry and Hydrates

IFREMER - French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea

Brest, France

General areas of responsibility

UMR 6538 Geo-Ocean is a new research unit with three main supervisor authorities: the CNRS (mainly attached to INSU), the University of Brest (UBO) and Ifremer, and a secondary supervisor: the University of Southern Brittany (UBS).

Geo-Ocean's scientific and technical skills are broken down into research themes with the following major scientific and societal challenges:

• Observing, understanding and modelling our coastal systems to better manage and protect them in the face of climate change and cumulative anthropogenic impacts.
• Pushing back the frontiers of observation and understanding of active processes (tectonic, volcanic, sedimentary and chemical) in the marine environment.
• Defining and understanding the heterogeneities, dynamics and interactions within the Earth's envelopes and their impact on the geodynamics and vertical movements of the oceanic domains.
• Identify the relationships between living organisms and their geological environment on all time and space scales.
• To guide society's access to marine resources in a sustainable and responsible manner.

To address these scientific questions, Geo-Ocean researchers have developed a framework of strong national and international collaborations and several partnerships with industry.

Within this Unit, the Cycle Biogéochimiques Et Ressources (CYBER) team is interested in the flow of matter and energy between the oceanic lithosphere and the hydrosphere. Research on these different envelopes and their interfaces is carried out using geological, geochemical and numerical approaches in order to understand exchanges and transfer mechanisms to the open ocean, and the formation of potential deep-sea resources (e.g. mineral resources, natural hydrogen). It is also interested in studying the biogeochemical cycles of the deep oceans and the ancient Earth. The team has a cross-disciplinary technical component in the fields of in situ and ex situ physico-chemical measurements, and the development of biogeochemical tracers in the water column, fluids, sediments and rocks.

Main tasks

As a main task, the researcher will work under the CYBER team leader and in support of the scientific leader of the ANR Hydraclay research project. The work will focus on understanding the mechanisms of formation and accumulation of natural gas hydrates in geological matrices (clays and sands). It is based on the reproduction of natural hydrate formation conditions in terms of thermodynamic stability, the geochemistry of the surrounding fluids and the mineralogy of the sediments. The research programme aims to understand the role of sediment mineralogy and interstitial fluid salinity on hydrate formation and growth.

As secondary tasks, the researcher will collaborate with other researchers and technical staff from the laboratory and UMR Geo-Ocean on the analytical development of a tool for the detection and characterisation of high-pressure gas hydrates using acoustic waves.

Main activities

• He/she will be responsible for laboratory experiments to study the influence of gas flowrate on hydrate formation kinetics, distribution and morphology (habit) from natural matrices collected in the Black Sea.
• He/she will participate in the preparation and characterisation of sand/clay mixtures and their water/salt content in collaboration with the ISM and PHENIX.
• He/she will be involved in the development of analytical methods and their optimisation for the detection of gas hydrates.

Network

• Internally: other Geo-Ocean teams, in particular ANTIPOD and ALMA, REM RDT research units and other Ifremer research units and departments.
• Externally: ISM (at Université de Bordeaux), PHENIX (at Sorbonne University, Paris), IUEM, and other university and INSU partners. Also external industrial partners or international organisations following participation in Geo-Ocean collaborative projects.

Required Knowledge, skills, and characteristics

• PhD degree in analytical chemistry, thermodynamics, process engineering or equivalent (obtained less than 3 years ago)

Skills required

Professional experience and specific skills:

• Strong aptitude for experimental work, particularly at high pressure.
• Desired knowledge of experimental methods for studying gas hydrates.
• Expertise in the implementation and development of analytical methods.
• Desired knowledge of porous or sedimentary media.

Personal qualities (interpersonal skills):

• Ability to listen and make suggestions, good dialogue and interpersonal skills.
• A sense of responsibility; scientific and organisational rigour.
• Sense of general interest, team spirit and autonomy.
• A taste for innovation and the ability to establish collaborations.

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France      Chemical Engineering      Chemistry      Earth Science      Environment      Government/Public Sector      Oceanography and Hydrology      PhD Required      IFREMER - French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea