Postdoc Position in Tectonics and Geochemistry for Natural H₂ Exploration in Aquitaine (M/F)

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Géosciences Environnement Toulouse Research Field Mathematics History » History of science Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 3 Apr 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

-While the mechanisms of H₂ generation are now relatively well established, its migration, storage, and preservation within the crust remain poorly understood. Nevertheless, natural H₂ seepages and accumulations demonstrate that exploitable concentrations can be reached. However, residence times, fluxes, and trapping mechanisms remain major scientific challenges that must be addressed to improve our understanding and to define appropriate exploration methodologies.The frequent association of natural hydrogen with noble gases, particularly helium, represents a major scientific and industrial opportunity. Indeed, noble gases, which are chemically inert, are robust tracers of fluid origin, production mechanisms, and migration pathways. Helium, transported notably by CO₂ and hydrothermal fluids, is a key tracer of mantle contributions and deep sources of H₂. Continental regions characterized by high heat flow generally show helium isotopic signatures indicating a mantle contribution, often linked to volcanism or crustal extension.

Present-day degassing will be investigated through noble gas analyses in thermal springs, while past processes will be constrained through the analysis of fluid inclusions in carbonates dated using U–Pb geochronology. Finally, mantle helium fluxes will be used to estimate heat fluxes using coupled isotopic and thermal models.The postdoctoral researcher's main tasks will include participation in field sampling campaigns, as well as the analysis and interpretation of petrological data, fluid inclusions, noble gas data, and U–Pb geochronological data on calcite. These results will then be integrated within the framework of the geodynamic evolution of the lithosphere of the Aquitaine Basin.

-The postdoctoral researcher will be recruited within the framework of the IDYLLE project (Impact of Lithosphere Dynamics and Basin Evolution on the Exploration of Energy Resources and Geological Potential) of the PEPR “Subsurface, bien commun”, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR). This project involves the CNRS, BRGM, IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPen), the universities of Toulouse, Montpellier, Lorraine, and the University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour. The IDYLLE project aims to understand the impact of lithospheric processes controlling heat, fluid, and gas transfers on the formation of resources such as natural hydrogen. This issue will be re-evaluated in the Aquitaine Basin and the northern Pyrenees.

The candidate must have a training in general geology, tectonics of sedimentary basins and geochemistry and/or fluid-rock interactions