Curriculum Vitae

Education

• 2000: Ph. D. thesis, UCL, with the highest Distinction and congratulations of the Jury
  • Title of the dissertation : L’interprétation structurale de la Manche au Rhin : apport des filtrages des champs de potentiel
• 1989: Advanced Postgraduate degree in Exploration Geophysics, ITC Delft, Netherlands, with Distinction
  • Research work titled: Compilation and interpretation of geophysical data from the Mount Isa Area N-W, Queensland with the help of a GIS system
• 1988: Postgraduate degree in Geophysics, ITC Delft, Netherlands, with Distinction
  • Field work: Geophysical survey in Ales region, Gard, France. (magnetometry, electromagnetism, VLF, induced polarization)
  • Field work: Gravimetric survey of the St Amboix region in France
• 1987: Master degree in Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, UCL, with Satisfaction
  • Dissertation on the Geochemistry of lateritic material in the region of Syama (Mali). Applied to geochemical prospecting of gold.
  • Field work in Ireland: Geological map of the Erislanen Conemara region
• 1985: Candidate in Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) with Distinction

Career

• Oct 2010 - now: Research assistant at the at Belgian Geological Survey.
• Jan 2003 – Feb 2009: Senior researcher at the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
• Jan 2001 - Dec 2002: Full researcher at the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
• Jan 1999 - Dec 2000: Research assistant at the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
• Jul 1993 - Dec 1998: Research assistant at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, contract from «Fonds de la Recherche Fondamentale Collective d’Initiative Ministérielle».
• Mar 1993 - Nov 1993: Research assistant at University of Gent, work at Belgian Geological Survey.
• Jan 1993 - Jun 1993: Research assistant at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, work at Belgian Geological Survey.
• May 1992 - Nov 1992: Research assistant at University of Gent, work at Belgian Geological Survey.
• Jan 1991 - Dec 1992: Diagraphist/engineer for data at GEOSERVICE International. Subject: Follow-up and analysis of the geological, physical and mechanical parameters during drilling for oil. This work has been primarily been executed in the North Sea and Continental Europe for the AGIP, BP, Cleyde petroleum, Elf and Total companies.
• Jul 1990 - Dec 1990: Research assistant at Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium.
• May 1990 - Jun 1990: Geophysicist at BUGECO Consultancy. Subject: Realization of a magnetic survey in order to target a Pb-Zn mineralization in the region of Plombières, Belgique.
• Feb 1990 - May 1990: Geologist at BUGECO Consultancy. Subject: Metallogenic estimation of Eastern Countries.
• Jul 1987 - Sep 1989: Beneficiary of the «Communauté Française de Belgique».

Research Fields

My research is primarily focused on the processing and interpretation of gravimetric and magnetic potential fields: Their use provides an important contribution to our knowledge of the internal structure of the earth.

Research Projects

• In 1993 the Royal Observatory of Belgium is charged with the interpretation of geophysical data in order to determine local crustal models. To obtain an optimal exploitation of the magnetic, seismic and geological data, I have been at first charged to validate the complete existing gravimetric data bank, which was not done hitherto.
• From 1995 on, I have been charged with the acquisition and the processing of the gravimetric field measurements on the Belgian territory. The databank contains actually more than 27000 field values on the territory and 38000 on the continental shelf. I am the author of the first detailed map with the gravimetric anomalies over Belgium, containing more than 250.000 field, marine and satellite values over and around Belgium.
• I am applying, developing and improving computer models for the interpretation of gravimetric and magnetic potential fields. The results of this research contribute to a better understanding of the tectonic structures extending over the borders of the country. In this regard relationships have been established with:
  • at the international level: the Canadian Geological Survey, the British Geological Survey (BGS, UK), the “Bureau de Recherche Géologique et Minière” (BRGM, France), the “Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris” (IPGP, France), the “Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre” (EOST, Strasbourg, France), the “Université des Sciences et Technologie de Lille” (France), the “Geologisches Institut de l’Universität de Karlsruhe ” (Germany), etc.
  • at the national level : the universities of Brussels (ULB), Louvain (UCL), Leuven (KULeuven), Gent (UGent), Mons (FPMs) and Belgian Geological Survey.
• From 1996 on, I have been the main actor in a close collaboration between the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) and the Earth Sciences Team of the “Université des Sciences et Technologie de l’Université de Lille”. As a result of this collaboration the interpretation of the deeper structures will be published for the first time.
• In 1996, I have participated with Z. Jiang of the “Bureau International des Poids et Mesures” (BIPM, Sèvres, France) to the computation of the gravimetric geoïd over Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.
• From 1999 to 2001, I have participated to the realization of the new first order gravimetric network (BLGBN network) with B. Ducarme, T. Van Hoolst and M. Van Ruymbeke from the ROB.
• From October 2001 till June 2003, I have been co-author in a seismological project, that aimed to obtain new information (three-dimensional variation of the propagation speed of the seismic waves) on the deeper geological structures of the regions situated at the border of the Brabant and Ardennes massifs. This study has allowed to interpret the region geodynamically, but also to complete the geological surface mapping. In parallel, I have continued the analysis of gravimetric and magnetic data of the neighboring countries.
• In 2003 I have computed with R. Barzaghi from the International Geoid Service a new gravimetric geoid for Belgium: the BG03.
• From 2003 till 2005 I have realized with B. Ducarme a high precision gravimetric net in the east of Belgium for the project HARD for A. Dumoulin from the Liège University. The object of this project was to determine what change in the gravimetric signal could be associated with an eventual change in altitude at ten GPS sites.
• In 2004 I have computed with H Duquenne from IGN France a surface with the altitudinal correction hBG04 for GPS user. This is an adjustment of the BG03 gravimetric geoid to the leveled GPS points form the Belgian geodetic net. This surface allows converting the ellipsoidal height (H from GPS) into orthometric height (h) for any other GPS measurement made in Belgium with a precision of 2 centimeters.
• In 2004 I have realized gravimetric measurements on the geodynamic polygon of Caldarusani in Romania for a better understanding of the geodynamic regime of the region.
• Sine 2004 I am performing gravimetric and magnetic measurements in Bulgaria in collaboration with D. Dimitrov, director of the central geodetic laboratory of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The object is to better understand the structural context of the seismic zone around Plovdiv. I have also established a calibration network for the Bulgarian gravimeters in the Sofia region.
• In the framework of a grant from the Federal Science Policy (FSP) (2005-2006), I have started to work in on the interpretation of gravimetric and magnetic potential fields by wavelet analysis.
• In 2005 I planed to include progressively the permanent GPS sites of the WALCORS network inside the BLGBN network (gravimetric first order network). To ensure the integrity of the reference base network more over the Walloon region was interested to know the behavior of their GPS antennas. Mainly in term of vertical displacement of the antennas. The first gravity measurement started in autumn 2006, the last campaign have been carried out in spring 2008.

FOREIGN WORK MISSIONS

• Travel study of 1 month at Dr P. Keating in the department of Applied Geophysics of the Canadian geological Commission (October 1995). Mathematical treatment of the magnetic and gravimetric fields in Belgium. Due to this collaboration, maps resulting from the mathematical treatment of potential fields were obtained for the first time for data coming from Belgium.
• From 17 march till 5 may 2001: Mission to Siberia in the framework of the bilateral agreements between Belgium and the Russian Federation (Moscou-Novossibirsk-Khabarovsk). Installation of a gravimeter in the region de Khabarovsk, measurement of the vertical gradients at Novossibirsk.
• 15 till 21 June 2003: Mission at the Polytechnic University of Milan for the computation of the Belgian geoid BG03.
• From 13 till 17 decembre 2004: Mission to San Francisco USA chairman the session entitled: Potential Field in Geodynamics, geophysics and geology at the Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).
• Since 2004 several missions to Bulgaria for the establishment of gravimetric networks in the framework of the bilateral agreements between Belgium and Bulgaria.
• EOST, Strasbourg, 24 till 29 January 2005: Consulting Pascal Sailhac, to initialize a collaboration in the frame of the data analysis of the potential fields by wavelets (FSP grant 2005-2006).
• 21-28 November 2006: Mission to Lanzarote Spain for the establishment of local gravimetric network in the frame work of the collaboration between the ROB and the and the Instituto de Astronomia y Geodesia from Madrid (CSIC-UCM). This will help to understand the tectonic setting of the Island. A long term perspective will be to make the geoid of the Canaries Islands.
• Decembre 2007: Mission to the Tonji University of Shanghai China To help them to understand the tectonic setting of the shishuan province.

FIELD SUPPORT AND SEMINARS OUT OF THE ROB

• Summer school on Gravimetry from 4 till 11 September 2002 as academic staff member, supporting field exercises, practical indoor exercises, and presentation of a seminar on data interpretation
• In 2002 : seminar on the interpretation of data from potential fields in the frame of the DEA on bassin dynamics in the department of earth Sciences of the “Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille”.
• From 27/07 till 31/07/2004: Field measurements and teaching on the use of the Lacoste-Romberg gravimeters in Romania in the frame of the project “Etude géophysique complexes dans les zone tectonique active de Roumanie”
• French Summer School on the geoid from 28/06 till 01/07/2005 as a member of the academic staff (seminar on the establishment of gravimetric networks and processing of high precision data)
• Summer School on micro-gravimetric techniques at Lanzarote in the Canary islands from 19/10 till 29/10/2005 as a member of the academic staff, follow-up field exercises, practical indoor exercises, and presentation of a seminar on data interpretation.
• XIX edition of the Summer School on Volcanology and Volcanoes geophysics from 21/05 till 29/05/2006 as a member of the academic staff (seminar on the interpretation of the gravity data to better understand volcanic structures).

SEMINARS

• Astronomical and geophysical seminars PHYS 2810 of the UCL: "Des données de champs potentiels (gravimétrique et magnétique) à leur interprétation géologique".
• Seminar at the ROB on 12/02/2002: History of gravimetry and application of potential filtering to geological structure: a case study in Belgium.
• Seminar at KUleuven on 17/03/2004 : An history of the Belgian Gravity and some processing on the maps.

Positions of Responsability - Membership

• Associated member of the national Belgian committee for geodesy and geophysics since 14 june 2000.
• Scientific collaborator of the « Musée d’histoire naturelle du Grand Duché de Luxembourg » since 11 may 2001.
• Belgian representative in the working group on the computation of the European geoid.

WORKING GROUPS IN BELGIUM

• FNRS (National Science Foundation) : Working group “Geology of the Caledonides in Belgium and neighboring countries”.
• Working group on the geological map of Wallonia.
• Working group on the Belgian geoid. Presentation of the results on the sudy of the Belgian geoid and the results of its computation for the gravimetric geoid BJ96, June 6, 1996.

LECTURES

• Since September 2004 lecturer at the Liège University
  Title : Gravimétrie, magnétisme et leurs applications géologiques.
• Since 2003: Seminar of 8th in the frame of the DEA on geodynamics in the department of earth Sciences of the “Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille”.

REFEREE FOR INTERNATIONAL JOURNALS

• Referee for Geological Magazine on articles about potential fields
• Referee for Africa Geoscience Review articles about potential fields
• Referee for Geophysics articles on gravimetry