Applications are now open for one (1) geological studies internship for a candidate from a developing State, Member of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The placement is provided by Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea), in accordance with its obligations under its contracts for exploration for polymetallic sulphides (PMS) with ISA.
The internship will take place in the Ifremer facilities of the Geo-Ocean laboratory (Ifremer/CNRS/Univ. Brest), in Brest, France for a duration of two to three months (approximately from February to the end of April 2024). The exact duration and dates will be confirmed closer to the start of the internship.
The objective of the internship is to acquire practical knowledge in:
- geological sample preparation for mineralogical/geochemical analyses (crushing, milling, preparation of pressed powder pellets and/or glass beads);
- mineralogical identification (X-ray diffraction, XRD); and
- determination of major element compositions (X-ray fluorescence, XRF).
The specific objectives and activities of the internship will be the study of gabbros collected along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). It concerns approximately 150 samples. Gabbroic rocks, constituting the lower oceanic crust, were exhumed and exposed on the seafloor along detachment and transform faults. Variable metamorphic and alteration degrees are identified in hand specimens, as well as different deformation stages. The detail of mineralogical changes though metamorphism then alteration following fluid-rock interaction, possibly related to deformation along fault planes, will be investigated on the basis of XRD analyses. The chemical evolution, including possible release or concentration of metals, during such processes will be studied with the XRF analyses. The inheritance of the protolith (e.g. rock type, mineralogy, mineral grain size and chemistry, deformation) could have a great impact on specific metal enrichments in polymetallic sulphides formed at hydrothermal fluids located on such rock substrates. Accordingly, the data obtained in the frame of this internship will contribute to the ongoing studies conducted by Ifremer on the geological environments surrounding active and low temperature hydrothermal districts identified along the MAR.
As a minimum requirement, candidates should hold a bachelor’s/master’s degree in geology, geochemistry, geophysics, oceanography or have an equivalent educational background. All candidates should be proficient in either English or French (both written and spoken) and have at least one year work experience in the relevant field.
Please visit this link for more information and to apply. Applications by qualified candidates should be received no later than 31 October 2023. Late or incomplete applications will not be processed.
One of the Voluntary Commitments registered by ISA at the 2017 UN Ocean Conference (#OceanAction 40768) and reiterated at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference aims at “Advancing women’s empowerment in marine scientific research”– As partner of the Women in Deep-Sea Research project (WIDSR), Ifremer has pledged to allocate 50% of the training opportunities to qualified women applicants.
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All contractors with ISA have a legal obligation to provide and fund training opportunities for personnel from developing States and those of ISA.
The legal basis for the requirement stems from the provisions of UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement and is set out in the standard terms of contracts. Its purpose is to ensure that personnel from developing States are provided with appropriate operational expertise to enable them to participate in deep-seabed mining.
Please visit this page to know more about the Contractor Training Programme.
For additional information, please contact:
Ms. Annekah Mason, Training Coordinator, ISA, training@isa.org.jm
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