Dr. Josef Dufek   Lillis Professor of Volcanology     Oregon Center for Volcanology     Department of Earth Sciences     University of Oregon     100 Cascade Hall     1272 University of Oregon     Eugene, OR 97403     B.S., 2000 University of Chicago     M.S., 2004 University of Washington     Ph.D.,2006 University of Washington     Miller Fellow, UC Berkeley, 2006-2008      Email: jdufek@uoregon.edu
My research is primarily focused on the application of fluid dynamics to understand mass and energy transfer in geological processes, with particular emphasis on volcanic systems. Most processes in nature involve multiple phases: for instance ash particles interacting with a turbulent gas carrier phase in an explosive volcanic eruption or bubbles exsolving and interacting with magma in a conduit. One of my research's goals is to delineate how multiphase interactions contribute to the structure and composition of igneous systems, and the role of such interactions in determining the dynamics and deposit architecture of volcanic flows. My research can be broadly grouped into two categories: 1) melting and mixing in the crust and mantle and the geochemical consequences of these processes, and 2) the dynamics of turbulent multiphase flows, and in particular the dynamics of explosive volcanic eruptions and particle laden gravity currents, such as pyroclastic flows or turbidity currents. I am also interested in how these flows influence the landscape evolution on the Earth and other planets in our solar system. To learn more about the details of this research either follow the link on the left or select the pertinent rotating image above. I'm currently looking for students and postdocs interested in physical volcanology, environmental multiphase flow, or planetary surface processes. The topics our group will be examining are interdisciplinary, and students with a variety of backgrounds (geology, geophysics, atmospheric science, physics, mathematics, etc) are encouraged to contact me if they have an interest in these topics.
Joe Dufek: Research on multiphase flow, volcanology and physical petrology.