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Christopher Davies

Associate Professor in Theoretical Geophysics, University of Leeds

My research is focused on understanding the dynamics and evolution of Earth’s deep interior. I am particularly interested in the generation of Earth’s magnetic field by fluid motion in its electrically conducting outer core and the manner in which this process is controlled by the overlying mantle and the solid inner core. To this end, I design theoretical and numerical models that describe the thermodynamic evolution of the core-mantle system and the fluid dynamics of magnetic field generation. I have applied these models to analyse fluid dynamic processes that arise from couplings between the fluid and solid cores and the mantle, constrain properties of the deep Earth that are not directly observable (such as the core-mantle boundary heat flow and the age of the inner core) and to interpret geophysical data. Topics associated with these research themes are:

Geodynamo theory
Convection
Thermal history of the Earth
Core-mantle interactions
Numerical methods
High-performance computing

Experience

  • –present
    NERC Independent Research Fellow/Lecturer in Geophysics, University of Leeds

Education

  • 2009 
    University of Leeds, PhD in Geophysics