Solid earth dynamics

One of the main processes that modify the shape and gravity of the solid earth is viscoelastic deformation inside the mantle, driven by forcing at the earth surface, such as glacial cycles and earthquakes. We study those processes by making use of a variety of observations (space-geodetic, seismic, laboratory experiments of rock deformation) in combination with numerical models. Our goal is to better understand the solid earth contribution to past, present and future changes in the earth system, with a particular emphasis on its interaction with global climate.