The intern will be integrated into the PHYSICS and HYDRO teams of the UMR EMMAH.
The teams focus on the propagation of mechanical or seismic waves in various environments and scales, within the context of water resource management in a changing global environment.
Mediterranean agricultural areas are facing increasing water resource tensions, with recent water scarcity periods potentially worsening due to projected climate changes.
The use of seismic waves to characterize water storage in agricultural soils and associated processes is being considered.
Utilizing seismic noise correlation methods allows for virtual source creation, enabling subsurface imaging with repeatability over time for various geological structure monitoring applications.
The research question revolves around whether information on water storage in the subsurface can be inferred from seismic noise recordings generated by human activities.
Scientific literature indicates correlations between seismic velocity variations in noise recordings and groundwater level fluctuations.
The internship involves testing this approach in an agricultural plot surrounded by busy roads in Avignon to explore potential correlations with groundwater fluctuations and unsaturated zone water content.
This interdisciplinary internship between INRAE and Avignon University offers a unique opportunity to blend modern physics techniques with water resource management in a changing climate context.
It provides exposure to multidisciplinary research, hands-on experience in instrumentation, field data acquisition, signal processing, and advanced petrophysical modeling skills.