The Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences is a scientific institution representing the mainstream of Polish basic research in Earth and environmental sciences. It is the only institution in Poland that performs monitoring of geophysical fields in seismology, geomagnetism, and selected areas of atmospheric physics. Currently, the Institute is recruiting for four doctoral topics to the GeoPlanet Doctoral School.

Recruitment for the GeoPlanet Doctoral School lasts from June 20 to July 31, 2025

Studies last 4 years and begin on October 1, 2025. During the 4 years, students must take specific courses and lectures (including interdisciplinary lectures), participate in seminars, and prepare the doctoral thesis. All workshops and lectures are in English.

The regulations of the doctoral school, including the program of the Studies, are here: https://geoplanetschool.camk.edu.pl/doctoral-school/regulations/

Information about the proposed research topics and their supervisors is attached to this announcement. Candidates can apply for one topic and should indicate it in the application. Before applying, candidates should contact their potential supervisors to obtain more details on the proposals.

Students in the doctoral school receive a scholarship for the period of 4 years. The amount of scholarship is set in the Law on higher education and science and is currently 3466.90 PLN/month, gross (ca. 3077 PLN/month net), before the mid-term evaluation (years 1–2) and 5340.90 PLN/month, gross (ca. 4740 PLN/month, net), after the positive mid-term evaluation (years 3–4).

The following documents are required in the recruitment procedure:

  1. The motion to enrol in the Doctoral School along with the consent for processing personal data for recruitment purposes and the declaration about familiarising with the present Regulations.
  1. A copy of the diploma certifying the completion of studies or a certificate confirming the completion of studies. In the case when the candidate is not in possession of the above-mentioned documents, he/she is obliged to deliver them before the start of the education in the Doctoral School. The documents are not required from the person referred to in Article 186, paragraph 2 of the Law.

Note: If the candidate does not have the abovementioned documents, she/he is expected to provide them before admission to the doctoral school.

  1. The list of grades obtained during the first-cycle (B.A., B.Sc.) and second-cycle studies (M.A., M.Sc.) or the list of grades obtained during the long-cycle Master Degree studies.
  2. The curriculum vitae containing the course of the existing education and employment, the list of publications, information on the involvement in scientific activity (membership in student research groups, participation in scientific conferences, internships and trainings, obtained awards and distinctions).
  1. A letter of motivation containing a short description of interests and scientific achievements and the justification why the candidate intends to undertake the education in the Doctoral School.
  1. Certificates or other documents stating the level of command of English language if the candidate is in possession of such documents.
  2. At least one letter of recommendation from the current research supervisor, academic teacher or research worker describing the candidate and his/her scientific activity that has been carried out by him/her so far. The letter can be sent by the candidate or directly by the person who wrote the letter. It is also possible that the candidate indicates a person who is a research worker or an academic teacher and holds a scientific degree from whom the recruitment commission may independently obtain such an opinion. In such a case the recruitment commission asks for such an opinion within the term that allows for taking it into consideration during the recruitment time. The possible ways to deliver the letter are included in the recruitment announcement.

The documents should be sent in electronic form in one PDF file (by e-mail, in the order as above 1-7) only to the address: studia.doktoranckie@igf.edu.pl by July 31, 2025. The documents send in other form will not be considered by the recruitment committee.

Please contact us if you have any questions regarding recruitment rules:

Anna Cygan – The Head of Research Office sn@igf.edu.pl

Warsaw, July, 2025

Subjects:

Optimization of oceanic bottom seismic data acquisition to improve the quality of crustal-scale seismic imaging

Supervisor: dr hab inż. Andrzej Górszczyk agorszczyk@igf.edu.pl, Department of Geophysical Imaging

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Completed second-cycle (Master’s) studies in geoinformatics, geophysics, physics, or a related field.
  • Knowledge of research topics related to seismic tomography, seismic wave propagation, seismic imaging, numerical methods, and inversion techniques.
  • Programming skills (Fortran, C++, Python).
  • Knowledge of the basics of seismic data processing.
  • Familiarity with systems/software used on computing clusters.
  • Very good command of English, enabling the presentation of results at international conferences, communication, reading of scientific papers, and writing.Applicant should hold a degree in physics, geophysics, mathematics, informatics, or a related subject.

TASKS DESCRIPTION:

  • Development of optimal regularization schemes for velocity model reconstruction based on synthetic and real OBS-type seismic data.
  • Investigation of the limitations and advantages of different tomographic approaches in high-resolution crustal model reconstruction.
  • Collaboration with team members and international partners on the development and application of full-waveform inversion methods at the crustal scale.
  • Preparation, organization, and execution of related analyses.
  • Preparation of scientific articles and conference presentations.
  • Reporting on work progress.

Summary of the doctoral project:

The core scientific problem this project seeks to address is the need to evolve the current paradigm of how OBS data are acquired during academic seismic surveys and how they are routinely processed. A key limitation of these surveys (from the perspective of modern processing techniques such as full-waveform inversion – FWI) is the sparse receiver deployments, which result in insufficient illumination of the target, as well as a lack of multi-azimuthal coverage from typical 2D profiles. This situation persists despite the availability of well-established imaging algorithms supported by advanced computing power, which are capable of generating high-fidelity regional geological models but cannot be fully exploited without optimized OBS data. While this suboptimal data acquisition is partly due to budgetary and time constraints in academic surveys, we may also argue that the prevailing practice of sparse 2D OBS deployments has led to the widespread use of computationally inexpensive traveltime inversion, which allows to quickly generate a range of smooth velocity models that fit the traveltimes with similar kinematic errors. This approach does not drive progress toward better-optimized data acquisition. Instead, academic surveys should be designed to meet the demands of modern processing techniques and, where necessary, improve the conventional approaches.

From a seismic survey perspective, “optimal OBS acquisition” refers to a set of key parameters – such as survey geometry, source/receiver configurations, etc. – that will allow for the best possible reconstruction of the target. Therefore, it must be tailored to the method, target, and available resources. But is it possible to determine these acquisition parameters based on limited a priori knowledge of the subsurface? How should the geometry of the acquisition change when considering ray-based traveltime tomography (TT) versus wave-based FWI? In what scenarios might a sparser 3D OBS deployment be preferable to a densely sampled 2D profile? What shot/receiver configuration would be most effective?

Conversely, we can consider optimizing OBS acquisition at the data processing stage. Here, the objective is to fine-tune the processing approach so that it makes the best use of the existing dataset to reconstruct the target within the available computational resources. Therefore, is it possible to design a data-selection or data-weighting approach that achieves optimal or uniform subsurface sampling for a given processing method? How would this optimal sampling differ between ray-based and wave-based techniques? Moreover, could the dataset be “sparsified” to optimize subsurface sampling while minimizing the computational load of large-scale regional models? How much could compressive sensing and advanced regularization techniques help reduce the data volume that needs to be processed?

Answering these questions and finding associated solutions are the primary scientific goals of this project. We live in an era where enormous amounts of data are collected on nearly every aspect of life, including geophysical investigations of our planet. As the volume of data grows, it is critical that we learn to optimize both the collection and utilization of data to maximize its value for the advanced processing tools at our disposal. Only by doing so can we find a balance between the potential of advanced processing techniques and academic OBS data acquisition strategies that fully exploit this potential.

Location: Cracow

Funding: The scholarship will be paid in accordance with the regulations regarding the amount of the scholarship established by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, NCN SONATA-BIS; 48 months 24×5000 PLN and 24×6500 PLN (gross)/ The scholarship will be paid in accordance with the regulations regarding the amount of the scholarship established by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education

Note: A separate ranking list will be created for this topic

Geomagnetic dynamo generated by nonequilibrium turbulent wave field

Supervisor: dr hab. Krzysztof Mizerski, prof. IG PAS kamiz@igf.edu.pl, Magnetism Department

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Master degree in physics, mathematics or engineering.
  • Programming skills.
  • Good knowledge of electrodynamics and fluid mechanics.
  • Good knowledge of English. `

TASKS DESCRIPTION:

  • Application of the fully three-dimensional code (created and owned by the PI) to solving the hydro-magnetic dynamo problem under the anelastic approximation in the Cartesian geometry, including the effects of shear, gravity and density stratification, with different types of thermal boundary conditions;
  • Numerical simulations with high resolution in 3D;
  • Numerical analysis of the evolution equations for the cross- and kinetic helicities and numerical modeling of theoretically obtained mean field equations within the scope of incompressible approximation. Summary of the doctoral project.

Summary of the doctoral project:

The aim of the project is to obtain the description of hydromagnetic dynamo process in non-equilibrium turbulence. Simulations performed by the Ph.D. student will constitute an important contribution to the theory, by verifying the essence of the effect of beating waves in the turbulent wave field. They will also help to determine the effect of the beating waves on excursions and reversals in the context of the geomagnetic field.

Location: Warsaw

Funding: Grant fellowship: 5000 PLN/month, gross, for 4 years/ The scholarship will be paid in accordance with the regulations regarding the amount of the scholarship established by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education

Note: A separate ranking list will be created for this topic

Evaluating Earthquake Preparatory Process Indicators Using Synthetic Seismicity: Testing the Reliability and Assessing the Implications for Pattern Recognition

Supervisor: prof. dr hab. inż. Beata Orlecka-Sikora,orlecka@igf.edu.pl , Department of Seismology

 

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Master’s degree in geophysics, applied mathematics, physics, or a related field; demonstrated skills in statistical analysis and programming (e.g., Python, R, or MATLAB).

TASKS DESCRIPTION:

  • Develop and apply synthetic seismicity models (ETAS and alternatives) to simulate diverse rupture and clustering scenarios.
  • Evaluate Earthquake Preparatory Process (EPP) indicators across synthetic catalogues to assess their sensitivity and interpretability.
  • Conduct statistical testing (e.g., Monte Carlo simulations, resampling) to validate observed patterns.
  • Prepare machine learning-ready datasets by integrating synthetic and real seismicity data.
  • Support AI model training for EPP pattern recognition using annotated catalogues.
  • Collaborate with the project team on method development, result interpretation, and international dissemination.

Summary of the doctoral project::

This PhD project focuses on evaluating indicators of the Earthquake Preparatory Process (EPP) using synthetic seismicity as a controlled testing environment. While the Epidemic-Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) model will serve as a starting point, the candidate will expand the simulation framework to include alternative statistical and physics-informed models that better capture the complexity of real seismicity. These synthetic catalogues will enable systematic testing of EPP indicators, such as clustering metrics or subcritical fracture growth rate, under varying stress and fracturing scenarios.

A primary objective is to assess which indicators consistently reflect stages of damage progression prior to significant seismic events. Statistical testing methods, including Monte Carlo simulations, will be applied to distinguish significant patterns from random variability. The insights gained will contribute to the development of reliable precursory indicators for use in seismic hazard assessment and forecasting. In parallel, the candidate will support the preparation of training datasets for artificial intelligence applications. This work plays a central role in advancing AI-based methods for seismic pattern recognition within the TrackPreQuake project.

Location: Cracow

Funding: National Science Centre (NCN) OPUS 28 project TrackPreQuake: Tracking Preparation Processes of Earthquakes, Decision No. DEC-2024/55/B/ST10/01041 (36 months), and statutory funding from the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences (12 months)/ The scholarship will be paid in accordance with the regulations regarding the amount of the scholarship established by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education

Note: A separate ranking list will be created for this topic

Anti-Repeaters and Quasi-Anti-Repeaters seismic  as Indicators of Damage Evolution in Anthropogenic and Natural Seismicity

Main supervisor: prof. dr hab. inż. Beata Orlecka-Sikora, orlecka@igf.edu.pl , Supervision in waveform analysis: dr hab. Łukasz Rudziński, rudzin@igf.edu.pl, Department of Seismology

 

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Master’s degree in geophysics, physics, or a related discipline; experience with seismic data processing and programming (e.g., Python or MATLAB); and familiarity with waveform analysis. Additional experience in catalogue enhancement, waveform cross-correlation, or clustering analysis is welcome.

TASKS DESCRIPTION:

  • Investigate the localization of damage leading up to significant earthquakes, focusing on fault interactions and the emergence of anti-repeaters.
  • Identify and characterize true and quasi anti-repeaters using waveform cross-correlation and anti-correlation methods.
  • Acquire, organize, and process waveform data to enhance seismic catalogues, using tools such as the Matching Phase Algorithm (PyMPA) and other detection methods based on machine learning.
  • Apply statistical and clustering techniques to analyse rupture complexity and its connection to damage coalescence.
  • Compare anti-repeater behaviour in anthropogenic and natural seismicity to assess their diagnostic value in different contexts.
  • Collaborate with the project team and international partners on method development, pattern interpretation, and scientific dissemination.

Summary of the doctoral project::

This PhD project investigates the progressive localization of damage in the lead-up to significant earthquakes, with particular focus on the emergence of anti-repeaters -earthquakes whose rupture propagates in a direction or with features reversed relative to prior events. A central research goal is to determine whether these events emerge during fracture coalescence within damage zones and to understand their influence on subsequent seismic activity, especially in anthropogenic settings.

By combining waveform cross-correlation techniques with statistical and clustering analyses, the candidate will identify and interpret true and quasi anti-repeaters. These insights will support the validation of spatial and temporal patterns associated with the Earthquake Preparatory Process and contribute to developing improved frameworks for classifying rupture behaviours, including reversed or anti-correlated events. Enhanced seismic catalogues and waveform-based pattern recognition methods developed during the project will help refine tools for seismic hazard assessment.

Location: Cracow

Funding: National Science Centre (NCN) OPUS 28 project TrackPreQuake: Tracking Preparation Processes of Earthquakes, Decision No. DEC-2024/55/B/ST10/01041 (36 months), and statutory funding from the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences (12 months)/ The scholarship will be paid in accordance with the regulations regarding the amount of the scholarship established by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education

Note: A separate ranking list will be created for this topic

RECRUITMENT RESULTS:

DIRECTOR’S DECISIONS TO ENTER ON THE LIST OF DOCTORAL STUDENTS:

ACADEMIC YEAR 2024/2025

ACADEMIC YEAR 2023/2024