School of Earth and Environment
Untitled Document

Sebastian Rost Dr Sebastian Rost

Reader in Global Seismology

Telephone number: +44(0) 113 34 35212
Email address: s.rost@leeds.ac.uk
Room: 8.135

Link to personal page

Biography

Sebastian studied Physics in Braunschweig and Göttingen (Germany). After a Masters degree in physics with a focus on geodynamics, he did a PhD in Seismology in Göttingen with a study of the small scale structure of the upper mantle discontinuities in the central Pacific.

After finishing his PhD (Summa Cum Laude) in 2000 he worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of California in Santa Cruz . In 2003 he joined the Arizona State University in Tempe where he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and, since 2004 as a Faculty Research Associate.

Since 2006 he is a Lecturer for Seismology in the School of Earth and Environment of the University of Leeds .

Research Interest

Sebastian's main research interest is the seismological study of the structure of the Earth's interior. He is especially interested in the fine scale structure of Earth's mantle and core, to understand the dynamics and evolution of the Earth. In his studies he uses recordings of seismic networks and seismic arrays to increase the resolution in his seismological studies.

His research in the last years focused on the structure of Earth's boundary layers in core, mantle and crust. His publications include some important discoveries of small scale structure at the core mantle boundary such as ultra-low velocity zones: Thin layers of partially molten, iron enriched mantle material, that likely forms the stable anchor for mantle plumes. He also worked on core structure leading to the discovery of core rigidity zones: rigid layers on top of the molten core that are important for Earth's nutations and material flux between core and mantle.

Publications

  • Gubbins, D; Sreenivasan, B; Mound, J; Rost, S (2011) Melting of the Earth's inner core., Nature, 473, pp.361-363. doi:10.1038/nature10068
  • Rost, S; Garnero, EJ; Thorne, MS; Hutko, AR (2010) On the absence of an ultralow-velocity zone in the North Pacific, J GEOPHYS RES-SOL EA, 115, . doi:10.1029/2009JB006420
  • Rost, S (2010) Seismic constraints on Earth's small-scale structure, ASTRON GEOPHYS, 51, pp.26-32.
  • Rost, S; Garnero, EJ; Stefan, W (2010) Thin and intermittent ultralow-velocity zones, J GEOPHYS RES-SOL EA, 115, . doi:10.1029/2009JB006981
  • Rost, S; Earle, PS (2010) Identifying regions of strong scattering at the core-mantle boundary from analysis of PKKP precursor energy, EARTH PLANET SC LETT, 297, pp.616-626. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.07.014
  • McNamara, AK; Garnero, EJ; Rost, S (2010) Tracking deep mantle reservoirs with ultra-low velocity zones, EARTH PLANET SC LETT, 299, pp.1-9. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.07.042
  • Rost, S; Thomas, C (2010) High resolution CMB imaging from migration of short-period core reflected phases, PHYS EARTH PLANET IN, 183, pp.143-150. doi:10.1016/j.pepi.2010.04.005
  • Rost, S; Thomas, C (2009) Improving Seismic Resolution Through Array Processing Techniques, SURV GEOPHYS, 30, pp.271-299. doi:10.1007/s10712-009-9070-6
  • Rost, S; Garnero, EJ; Williams, Q (2008) Seismic array detection of subducted oceanic crust in the lower mantle, J GEOPHYS RES-SOL EA, 113, . doi:10.1029/2007JB005263
  • Garnero, E; Thorne, M; McNamara, A; Rost, S (2007) Fine scale ultra-low velocity zone layering at the core-mantle boundary and superplumes , In: al, DYE (Ed) Superplumes: Beyond Plate Tectonics, Springer, New York, pp.X-XX.
  • Kito, T; Rost, S; Thomas, C; Garnero, EJ (2007) New insights into the P- and S-wave velocity structure of the D '' discontinuity beneath the Cocos plate, GEOPHYS J INT, 169, pp.631-645. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2007.03350.x
  • Rost, S; Thorne, MS; Garnero, EJ (2006) Imaging global seismic phase arrivals by stacking array processed short-period data, SEISMOL RES LETT, 77, pp.697-707.
  • Rost, S; Garnero, EJ; Williams, Q (2006) Fine-scale ultralow-velocity zone structure from high-frequency seismic array data, J GEOPHYS RES-SOL EA, 111, . doi:10.1029/2005JB004088
  • Rost, S; Garnero, EJ (2006) Detection of an ultralow velocity zone at the core-mantle boundary using diffracted PKKPab waves, J GEOPHYS RES-SOL EA, 111, . doi:10.1029/2005JB003850
  • Rost, S; Garnero, EJ; Williams, Q; Manga, M (2005) Seismological constraints on a possible plume root at the core-mantle boundary, NATURE, 435, pp.666-669. doi:10.1038/nature03620
  • Rost, S; Garnero, E (2004) Array seismology advances Earth interior research, Eos, 85, pp.301,305-306.
  • Rost, S; Garnero, EJ (2004) A study of the uppermost inner core from PKKP and P ' P ' differential traveltimes, GEOPHYS J INT, 156, pp.565-574. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2004.02139.x
  • Rost, S; Revenaugh, J (2004) Small-scale changes of core-mantle boundary reflectivity studied using core reflected PcP, PHYS EARTH PLANET IN, 145, pp.19-36. doi:10.1016/j.pepi.2004.02.008
  • Rost, S; Revenaugh, J (2003) Detection of a D" discontinuity in the south Atlantic using PKKP, Geophysical Research Letters, 30, pp.4-1 - 4-4.
  • Rost, S; Williams, Q (2003) Seismic detection of sublithospheric plume head residue beneath the Pitcairn hot-spot chain, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 209, pp.71-83. doi:10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00075-X
  • Rost, S; Revenaugh, J (2003) Small-scale ultralow-velocity zone structure imaged by ScP, Journal of Geophysical Research, 108, pp.1-10.
  • Rost, S; Thomas, C (2002) Array seismology: Methods and applications, REV GEOPHYS, 40, . doi:10.1029/2000RG000100
  • Rost, S; Weber, M (2002) The upper mantle transition zone in the Pacific as determined by short-period array data, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 204, pp.347-361. doi:10.1016/S0012-821X(02)00999-8
  • Rost, S; Weber, M (2001) A reflector at 210 km depth beneath the NW Pacific, Geophysical Journal International, 147, pp.12-28. doi:10.1046/j.1365-246X.2001.00497.x
  • Rost, S; Revenaugh, J (2001) Seismic Detection of Rigid Zones at the Top of the Core, Science, 294, pp.1911-1914. doi:10.1126/science.1065617