Scientific priorities

1. What are the physical processes that govern earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and Earth’s magnetic field ?

Increasing understanding of these processes requires the interpretation of long-term observations and analyses based on experimental, numerical and field data. Better understanding leads to better prediction, mitigation and remediation. This research is promoted at scientific and societal levels.

2. What is shaping the Earth?

Topography is the expression of geodynamics as related to fault activity and other processes involving erosion and deposits (i.e. internal and external constraints). These processes reauire techniques of observation, imaging, and modeling.

3. How do rocks change as a function of natural and human constraints?

Mineral and geochemical proxies are used to quantify and model variations of time and space and to observe rock evolution and soil transformation caused by natural conditions (e.g. pressure, temperature, deformation, and fluid migration) as well human-induced influences (e.g. pollutants, mineral/oil and gas extraction). These observations are carried out through laboratory experiments, high-resolution data acquisition and modeling.