About

Mehdi Nikkhoo

Postdoctoral researcher

in Geodesy & Geophysics

Contact Information

Email:

Phone: (331)288-1293

Office: Helmholtzstraße 7

14467 Potsdam

About me

I have a Master's degree in geodesy and a Ph.D. in geophysics. The aim of my research is to understand the physics of magmatic and tectonic processes that drive deformation and gravity change at active volcanoes.

Research Interests

I develop analytical and numerical models to quantify crustal deformation caused by magmatic and tectonic processes. The compound analytical models that I develop are flexible representations of the wide variation in volcanic source geometries. These models are fast and efficient for rapid inversions, which are crucial for hazard assessment and early warning purposes. I use the boundary element method to investigate the topographic and gravitational effects on the formation and temporal evolution of volcano deformation sources as well as the interactions between multiple sources. Applying these models to surface deformation data, which are detected through various geodetic techniques, and using nonlinear optimization techniques I can infer the location, geometry and strength of the subsurface sources of deformation.

Education

B.Sc. in Geodesy and Geomatics (1997-2002), University of Tehran, Iran
M.Sc in Geodesy (2005-2008), K.N.Toosi University of Technology, Iran
Ph.D. in Geophysics (2011-2019), GFZ Potsdam, Germany