Castelltort, Sébastien, Dr.

ETH Zürich
Dr. Sébastien Castelltort
Geologisches Institut
NO E 31
Sonneggstrasse 5
8092 Zürich

Phone: +41 44 632 36 48
E-Mail: 

NEWS : I have moved to the department of Geology and Paleontology of the University of Geneva. New website : http://sites.google.com/site/sebastiencastelltort

Research presentation

My research focuses on the description and understanding of patterns of erosion and sedimentation as a physical surface response to tectonics and climate.
These patterns succeed to each other along the entire sediment routing system: dendritic drainage networks in the erosion zone, meandering and braided channel patterns in the transfer zone, and stacks of sequences and systems tracts in sedimentary basins.
I try to develop concepts and tools in tectonic geomorphology and in what I call "tectonic sedimentology" in order to interpret the geometry of our Earth's surface and how it records our Earth's evolution.

Focus and methods

Focus
My current research priorities are:
Modern and ancient fluvial systems with sub-projects focusing on 1) the measure, understanding and interpretation of braided patterns, with application to paleohydraulics and oil exploration and 2) the concept of base level and diffusive-like behaviour of alluvial rivers.
Deformation and resistance of drainage networks, with emphasis on their use as strain markers of continental deformation.
Field sedimentology and geomorphology in Taiwan (understanding the geological signature of oblique collision) and Uzbekistan (landscape evolution of the westernmost edge of the TianShan).

I have other projects currently involving river networks on Mars, geological mapping in Switzerland, and pyrenean geology.

Methods
I am a field geologist, with a special attraction towards energetic clastic sediments, channels and other fascinating traces of ancient flows of water-sediment mixtures, but I also like to map growth folds and faults, draw panoramas, measure fault populations or hunt microcodiums (force majeure).
I wring digital elevation data using a majority of open source softwares, though I recourse a lot to Rivertools which is particularly fast, especially when used through a little dose of IDL lines of code.
I use numerical models programmed by colleagues to test ideas regarding the role of physical parameters on erosion and sedimentation at geological timescales. Observation and knowledge of natural systems often stimulate and improve these modeling experiments.
Through collaborations at ETH and where necessary, I, or student I work with, take advantage of existing methods in sedimentary analysis and tectonic geomorphology.

Research Projects

Taiwan
Landscape evolution in the SW Tian Shan

Field images