Dr.
Luc Illien
Funktion und Aufgaben:
Project Manager and Research Scientist for the European Horizon MSCA Doctoral Network EnvSeis (https://www.envseis.eu/)
I have created the workshop 'Mental Health for PhD students' within the Geograduate program (twice a year)
Wissenschaftliche Interessen:
My research consists in monitoring the physical properties of the shallow subsurface (from soils to seismogenic depths) with the seismic ambient noise wavefield. I thrive to work at the interface where environmental and tectonic forcings collide to understand how human societies can settle on the Earth's surface in a sustainable and secure fashion.
My work has led me to investigate a string of topics:
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Groundwater dynamics and recharge in steep landscapes and mountainous areas
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The transient hydrological changes observed after earthquakes
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The link between shallow physical properties and Earth surface processes
My approach is inter-disciplinary and involves a mix of geophysical methods, modelling and observations of independent dataset.
Karriere:
Werdegang / Ausbildung:
Projekte:
These are the broad research themes I initiated at the GFZ in collaboration with a range of partners. For more information about these projects, don’t hesitate to contact me.
- Cryosphere-groundwater connectivity What is the fate of snow melt in alpine catchments ? To answer this question, we deployed a seismic network in the well-intrumented Val d’Urse catchment in the Swiss Alps. With estimates of seismic velocity changes calibrated with borehole observations of groundwater level, we aim to measure hidden hydrological fluxes and build new hydrogeological models in these environments. Main collaborators: Clement Roques (UNINE, Switzerland)
- Trans-Himalayan groundwater recharge dynamics From the Tibetan plateau to the Terai plains, we use remote sensing and seismic interferometry to constrain groundwater dynamics and its relation to climate, lithology and seismicity. Main collaborators: Christoff Andermann (University of Rennes, France), Niels Hovius (GFZ), Peter Makus (GFZ)
- Seismic monitoring of soil physical properties We aim to understand the hydrological properties of soils in a range of conditions that span natural forest ecosystems (Muritz National Park, TERENO observatory) to agricultural lands (Wineyards in the Loire valley, France). We develop and test a variety of seismic monitoring techniques at very high-frequency (>50 Hz). Main collaborators: Maria Tsekhmistrenko (Earth Rover Program, UK)
- Monitoring rock damage with late acoustic arrivals Using constraints from numerical simulations, we aim to develop new acoustic monitoring techniques for laboratory rock deformation experiments. Main collaborators: Nicolas Brantut (GFZ)