Biography
Benjamin Couvin is a PhD researcher at iCRAG since 2018 under the supervision of Dr Aggeliki Georgiopoulou. He graduated with a BSc in Geology from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris, France) in 2013 and a joint MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from both the Université Pierre et Marie Curie and Universitetet I Bergen (Bergen, Norway) in 2015. Before joining iCRAG, Benjamin had previously worked for the GeoForschungsZentrum in Potsdam, Germany, as a research assistant in the field of continental sedimentology and geochemistry. His research interests are generally focused on siliciclastic sedimentology and the links that exist between the source and the sink of a basin, considering the path of sediments from erosion, to transport, to deposition, within continental or marine settings.
Benjamin’s research in marine sedimentology at iCRAG is focused on creeping submarine landslides – that is landslides that occur in a slow and continuous fashion (as opposed to catastrophic events) – and aims to characterise the mechanisms that trigger them, their dynamics and their frequency, hence assessing the possible geohazard for marine infrastructures and coastal settlements. His research will take him to New Zealand, where this type of landslides has been identified on the seabed off the coast of North Island. There, more work is needed to fully understand the cause for slope failure.
Technical description
The Tuaheni Landslide Complex, on the Hikurangi margin off the Eastern coast of New Zealand, consists of modest size to very large (up to 3000 km²) creeping landslides, which are identified on seismic data thanks to chaotic, low amplitude reflectors. The research includes acquisition, interpretation and correlation of bathymetry data, seismic data, logs and cores. Newly acquired data from recent expeditions will help clarify the processes responsible for slope failure in the area.
Role
- Postgraduate Researcher
Institution
- UCD
Research Area
- Earth System Change
Expertise
- Environmental Geoscience
