Andrea Tommasi

Born on October 22nd, 1965, in Ponta Grossa, Brazil.
Italian and Brazilian nationalities.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

1989-1991 - M.Sc. in Earth Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

"Evolução cinemática do Cinturão Dom Feliciano durante o Ciclo Brasiliano"

- Kinematic analysis of a neoproterozoic collisional belt of southern Brazil (field mapping and microstructural studies) showing a temporal and spatial partitioning of the deformation.
- Study of the relationship between magmatism and deformation: analysis of the rheological effect of the emplacement of large volume of magmas in the continental crust.

 

1992-1995 - Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, Speciality: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Universite de Montpellier II, France

Developpement de systemes de decrochement d'echelle continentale dans une lithosphere heterogene: Cas naturels et modelisation numerique.
- Study of the effect of thermally-induced intraplate rheological heterogeneities on the mechanical behavior of a continental plate submitted to compression (continental collision) through the analysis of field examples (Neoproterozoic collisional belts of Brazil) and finite-element models.

 

1995-1998 - Post-doctoral fellow - Universite de Lyon I & University of Leeds (UK):

" Upper mantle flow: integrated thermo-mechanical, crystallographic and seismic models applied to the interpretation of upper mantle flow from shear wave splitting data"

Development of multi-scale forward models to predict the olivine lattice preferred orientations and seismic anisotropy produced by a given geodynamical flow. Study of the upper mantle deformation and seismic anisotropy due to the asthenospheric drag beneath an oceanic plate and of the seismic anisotropy associated with salt diapirism (coll. M. Kendall). In collaboration with G.Rˆºmpker, we have also investigated the effect of a continuous the effect of a continuous vertical variation of the LPO on the measured anisotropy as well as the frequency dependence of this later.

1998 - present: Full-time researcher at Lab. Tectonophysique - UMR 5568 - CNRS/Univ. Montpellier II.

My present research themes couple geodynamics and petrophysics:

• the relationship between the upper mantle flow and the anisotropy of its physical properties
  • multi-scale numerical models of the development of olivine crystalographic orientations and seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle
  • numerical models and experimental measurements of the anisotropy of thermal diffusivity in the upper mantle
  • strain-induced mechanical anisotropy in the upper mantle: polycrystal plasticity models and experimental contraints
  • relationship between deformation and anisotropy of electrical conductivity in the upper mantle - collaboration with Alexander Gatzemeier (postdoctoral fellow at the Lab. Tectonophysique)
• the deformation of the lithospheric (and sublithospheric) mantle in continental collision zones, rifts, and lithospheric-scale shear zones (analysis of seismic anistropy data & forward models)
• upper mantle flow beneath oceanic plates: effect of plate motions, transforms, and mantle plumes on the upper mantle deformation (analysis of seismic anistropy data & forward models)
• rift propagation and plate break-up: the effect of the preexisting structure of the lithosphere on continental rifting
• lithosphere-asthenosphere interactions : the PLUME & "Magma-rock interactions and seismic properties in the upper mantle" projects
• flow and seismic anisotropy in the deep mantle (coll. P. Cordier, Lille; EUROMin proposal)

CURRENTLY FUNDED PROJECTS

2004-2006: INSU Programme DyETI: " Interactions magma-roche dans le manteau superieur¬Ý: Caracterisation des processus et effets sur les proprietes physiques" - PIs: A. Tommasi & M. Godard

2006-2007: PAI Picasso: "Erosion of the continental lithosphere: Chemical processes and consequences to the rheology and seismic properties of the lithospheric mantle". co-resp. F. Gervilla (Granada)

INTERNATIONAL LITHOSPHERE PROGRAM (ILP) TASK FORCE III : LITHOSPHERE-ASTHENOSPHERE INTERACTIONS

Resp: A. Tommasi (Montpellier), C. Garrido (Granada, E) & J.M. Kendall (Bristol, UK):

4th Deep Earth Conference: LITHOSPHERE-ASTHENOSPHERE INTERACTION, 28 May- 1 June 2005 Frejus, France

EGU 2006 Session GD04 - Lithosphere-Mantle Interaction ’Äì Vienna, Austria, 2’Äì7/5/2006

CURRENT PhD & MSc PROJECTS

2005-2007 Ph.D. Mickael KNOLL - "Modelisation multi echelles de l'effet de l'heritage structural sur la deformation des continents " (Lab. Tectonophysique, UM II) , co-supervisor R. Loge (CEMEF, Ecole de Mines de Paris)

2006 Master : Stephanie LAVAURE - "Nature des interactions asthenosphere-lithosphere a l'aplomb d'un panache: apport de la geochimie in situ sur des xenolites mantelliques de Hawaii" , co-supervisor M.Godard

PAST PhD & MSc (DEA) PROJECTS

Ph.D 2005 - Mathieu DUCLOS ’Äì " Deformation aux frontieres de plaques et anisotropie sismique ". Supervisors: M. Savage (Univ. Wellington, NZ) & A. Tommasi (Lab. Tectonophysique, UM II) ’Äì cotutelle Univ. Montpellier II & Univ. Victoria at Wellington

Ph.D. 2005 - Cristina Maria GUSMˆÉO de BURGOS - "Contribuiˆßˆ£o ao estudo dos maciˆßos anortositicos do Cinturao Itabuna (sul da Bahia): analise da deformaˆßao dos plagioclasios atraves do metodo EBSD (electron backscatter diffraction) " Supervisor: Manuel Jeronimo Moreira Cruz (UFBA)

Ph.D. 2003 BenoˆÆt GILBERT - "Relations entre deformation et anisotropie des proprietes physiques du manteau superieur" (Lab. Tectonophysique, UM II) , co-supervisor D. Mainprice - Prix Hauy-Lacroix 2004, Societe Franˆßaise de Mineralogie et Cristallographie

DEA 2005 DEA: Sebastien GRANET - "Variations texturales dans les xenolites mantelliques d'Hawaii: Implications pour l'anisotropie sismique a l'aplomb d'un panache mantellique"

2004 DEA Laetitia PELTIER ’Äì "La lithosphere oceanique a l'aplomb du panache d'Hawaii: Etude petrophysique de nodules de peridotite de Oahu, Kauai et Niihau", co-supervisor A. Vauchez

DEA 2004: Emilie ROULLEAU ’Äì " Nature des interactions asthenosphere-lithosphere a l'aplomb d'un panache mantellique en domaine oceanique: etude geochimique de xenolites mantelliques de Polynesie Franˆßaise ", co-supervisor M.Godard

DEA 2003: Laurie PALASSE ’Äì "La lithosphere subcontinentale au-dessus d'un panache mantellique: Etude petrophysique des nodules de peridotite du Massif Central", co-supervisor A. Vauchez

DEA 2002: Ingrid CHANE-FO - "Les racines des plateaux oceaniques: Caracterisation des effets de la fusion partielle et des interactions magma-peridotites sur la composition du manteau lithospherique au-dessus d'un panache mantellique", co-supervisor M.Godard

DEA 2001: Guilhem COROMINA - "Etude des xenolites mantelliques de Tahiti. Nature des interactions asthenosphere-lithosphere a l'aplomb d'un panache mantellique en domaine oceanique", co-supervisor M.Godard

TEACHING DUTIES 2005-2006 : Universite de Montpellier II, Master Terre Recherche

M2: Physique de la Terre Interne (16h) : Relations between upper mantle flow and anisotropy ; numerical modeling of the development of olivine crystalographic orientations and seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle = constraints on the interpretation of seismic anisotropy data in terms of upper mantle deformation

M1: Geodynamique et Proprietes Physiques des Roches (10 h): Rheology of the continental lithosphere. Physical parameters controling the rheological behavior of crustal and mantle rocks. Microstructural analysis of thin sections of deformed crustal and mantle rocks deformed under variable P-T conditions. Introduction to numerical models of the lithospheric deformation.