dr miriam gauntlett

about

research

In my research, I use the energy produced by earthquakes (seismic waves) to map the interior of the Earth. It’s similar to the process of a CT scan: as the seismic waves pass through the Earth, they record information. We measure the seismic waves at sites all over the globe and use various methods to uncover this information.

current

I am working on the WA Array project with Dr Caroline Eakin, a continental-wide array of seismometers aiming to provide unprecedented insights into the structure of Western Australia's crust and mantle. Our work uses seismic anisotropy (the directional dependence of seismic wave speed) to understand the deformational history of this region—one of the oldest continents in the world. [more]

phd

My PhD research focused on the Afar Triple Junction—the meeting point of three different continental rifts. Rifting is part of the cycle of plate tectonics: continents are subject to forces that pull them apart to form new oceans. The three rifts that converge in Afar are known as the Afro-Arabian Rift System, and formed when the Arabian and African plates began to separate. These rifts are at different stages of development, thus making the region an ideal place to investigate how and why rifting begins and evolves.

masters

During my MSc project, I investigated the space-time characteristics of large-magnitude, deep earthquakes. These mysterious events occur at depths greater than 300 km, where the pressure and temperature within the Earth is very high. The usual mechanism for an earthquake is brittle failure; but deep events occur in regions where ductile flow of rocks would be expected instead. In contrast to their shallow counterparts, the space-time characteristics determined for deep earthquakes are often inconsistent, non-unique and poorly constrained.

publications

• Gauntlett, M., Eakin, C. M., Bishoyi, N., Zhang, P., O’Donnell, J.-P., Murdie, R., Miller, M. S., Pickle, R., Ebrahimi, R. (in review) Significant anisotropic fabric across Southwestern Australia and the Yilgarn Craton revealed by the new WA Array. Submitted to Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems.
• Gauntlett, M., Eakin, C. M., Bishoyi, N. (2024) Shear-wave splitting across Phase 1 of WA Array. In WA Array Phase 1 – Southwest compiled by RE Murdie: Geological Survey of Western Australia, Report 256 (pp. 111–117).
• Gauntlett, M., Stephenson, S. N., Kendall, J-M., Ogden, C., Hammond, J. O. S., Hudson, T., Goitom, B., Ogubazghi, G. (2024). The dynamic crust of northern Afar and adjacent rift margins: new evidence from receiver function analysis in Eritrea and Ethiopia. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 25(6), e2023GC011314.
• Gauntlett, M., Hudson, T., Kendall, J.-M., Rawlinson, N., Blundy, J., Lapins, S., Goitom, B., Hammond, J., Oppenheimer, C., and Ogubazghi, G. (2023). Seismic tomography of Nabro caldera, Eritrea: Insights into the magmatic and hydrothermal systems of a recently erupted volcano. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (p. e2022JB025742).

conferences and workshops

• Significant anisotropic fabric across Southwestern Australia and the Yilgarn Craton revealed by the new WA Array, poster presentation at European Geosciences Union Annual Meeting, 2024.
• Channelised mantle flow through the Afar Triple Junction and around the Arabian plate: evidence from seismic anisotropy, oral presentation at Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting, 2023.
• The dynamic crust of Eritrea: new evidence from receiver functions, oral presentation at Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting, 2023.
• Insights into the magmatic and hydrothermal systems of a recently erupted volcano, poster presentation at British Geological Association meeting, 2022.

elsewhere

I co-write the Science & Society column for the UK Morning Star alongside Rox Middleton and Liam Shaw.

I share book reviews on Instagram.