Julian Lowman

Interior Structure and Dynamics of Terrestrial Planets

Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences
University of Toronto Scarborough
Toronto, ON,
M1C 1A4, Canada
phone: 416 208 4880; fax: 416 287 7279
e-mail: julian.lowman@utoronto.ca

ALSO at:

Departments of Physics and Earth Sciences
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON,
M5S 1A7, Canada

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Brief CV

• B.Sc., Toronto (1990); M.Sc., York (1993); Ph.D., York (1997).

• PDF, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA (1998-99); Lecturer, Leeds, UK (2000-05); Assistant Professor, Toronto (2006-2010); Associate Professor, Toronto (2010-16); Professor, Toronto (2016-present); Visiting Professor: U. Nantes, France (2009); U. Munster, Germany (2010); Macquarie U., Australia (2018)

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Graduate Student Opportunities

Opportunities are available for both M.Sc. and Ph.D. student applicants with interests in mantle convection studies and the modelling of fundamental heat transport processes in viscous fluids. Applicants must be Canadian residents, possess good communication skills and a first degree in mathematics, physics, geophysics or an appropriate branch of engineering. Potential students would be enrolled in either the Department of Physics, the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences or the Department of Earth Sciences . The start date is usually August of each year. Typically, interested students will begin the application procedure prior to the end of the previous year (November). Interested Masters and PhD program applicants are encouraged to contact me directly at julian.lowman@utoronto.ca regarding potential research projects.

• Pejvak Javaheri (PhD student)

• Mick Raczkowski (PhD student)

• Chad Fairservice (Undergraduate Research Assistant)

• Zac Zhang (Undergraduate Research Assistant)

• Taiwo Ojo (Postdoctoral Research Associate)

• Robert McGrory (Industry Collaborator)

• Robert McGrory (MSc University of Toronto - Investigating the impact of surface temperature and stress-dependence on plate formation in numerical mantle convection models)

• Sean Langemeyer (PhD University of Toronto; The feedback between core heat flux, compositional heterogeneity, and the dynamics of a rheologically obtained plate-like surface in numerical mantle convection models, MSc - The effect of mantle heating mode on surface mobility in 3D spherical shells)

• Joshua Guerrero (PhD University of Toronto, The influence of curvature on mantle convection featuring a temprature-dependent viscosity, MSc - Parameterization of the surface to basal heat flux ratio in mixed heating mode spherical annulus convection)

• Sean Trim (PhD University of Toronto, The dynamic interaction of mantle compositional heterogeneities at the surface and the core-mantle boundary, MSc - Effects of compositional heterogeneity at the mantle's boundaries)

• Phil Heron (PhD, University of Toronto, Mantle dynamics following supercontinent formation, MSc - Investigating the effect of supercontinent assembly on mantle convection)

• Keely O'Farrell (PhD, University of Toronto, Emulating the thermal structure of spherical shell convection in plane-layer geometry calculations: implications for modelling mantle dynamics)

• Andrew D. Gait (PhD, University of Leeds, Mantle Convection Incorporating Evolving Plate Geometries)

• Dan Nettelfield (MPhil, University of Leeds, Thesis: The Effect Of Imposed Surface Velocities On Numerical Models of Mantle Convection)

• Laura Pinero-Feliciangeli (PhD, University of Leeds, Thesis: Seismic Anisotropy in the Caribbean: Investigating mantle flow in regions of subduction (co-supervisor))

• Numerical methods in computational fluid dynamics

• The heating modes and cooling processes in terrestrial planets

• Investigation of the feedback between mantle convection and surface motion

• The effect of continents on mantle convection

• Computer visualisation applications for 3D computational fluid dynamics

Top of page

Guerrero, J.M., Ojo, T.T., Fairservice, C.W., Javaheri, P., and J.P. Lowman, Utilising Euler poles for the evaluation of plate rigidity in numerical mantle convection models, Geophys. J. Int., Vol. 238, 1269-1290, doi:10.1093/gji/ggae219, 2024. (Additional Supplement available)

Javaheri, P., Lowman, J.P., and P.J. Tackley, Spherical geometry convection in a fluid with an Arrhenius thermal viscosity dependence: the impact of core size and surface temperature on the scaling of stagnant-lid thickness and internal temperature, Phys. Earth. Planet Int., Vol. 349, 107157, 2024. (Additional Supplement available)

Langemeyer, S.M., Lowman, J.P., and P.J. Tackley, Contrasts in two- and three-dimensional system behaviour in the modelling of compositionally originating LLSVPs and a mantle featuring dynamically obtained plates, Geophys. J. Int., doi:10.1093/gji/ggac143, 2022. (Additional Supplement available)

Guerrero, J.M., Lowman, J.P., and P.J. Tackley, Did the cessation of convection in Mercury's mantle allow for a dynamo supporting increase in heat loss from its core? Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., Vol. 571, 117108, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117108, 2021.

Langemeyer, S.M., Lowman, J.P., and P.J. Tackley, Global mantle convection models produce transform offsets along divergent plate boundaries, Commun Earth Environ, Vol. 2, 69, https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-021-00139-1, 2021. (Additional Supplement available)

O'Neill, C.J., Lowman, J.P., and J. Wasiliev, The effect of galactic chemical evolution on terrestrial exoplanet composition and tectonics, Icarus, Vol. 352, 114025, 2020.

Trim, S.J., Lowman, J.P., and S.L. Butler, Improving mass conservation with the tracer ratio method: application to thermochemical mantle flows, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. (Gcubed), Vol. 22, e2019GC008799, doi:10.1029/2019GC008799, 2020.

Langemeyer, S.M., Lowman, J.P., and P.J. Tackley, The dynamics and impact of compositionally originating provinces in a mantle convection model featuring rheologically obtained plates, Geophys. J. Int., Vol. 220(3), 1700-1716, doi:10.1093/gji/ggz497, 2020.

Guerrero, J.M., Lowman, J.P., and P.J. Tackley, Spurious transitions in convective regime due to viscosity clipping: ramifications for modeling planetary secular cooling, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. (Gcubed), Vol. 20, doi:10.1029/2019GC008385, 2019.

Guerrero, J.M., Lowman, J.P., Deschamps, F., and P.J. Tackley, The influence of curvature on convection in a temperature-dependent viscosity fluid: implications for the 2D and 3D modeling of moons, J. Geophys. Res.(Planets), Vol. 123, 1863-1880, doi:10.1029/2017JE005497, 2018.

Langemeyer, S.M., Lowman, J.P., and P.J. Tackley, The sensitivity of core heat flux to the modeling of plate-like surface motion, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. (Gcubed), Vol. 19, 1282-1308, doi:10.1002/2017GC007266, 2018.

Trim, S.J., and J.P. Lowman, Interaction between the supercontinent cycle and the evolution of intrinsically dense provinces in the deep mantle, J. Geophys. Res.(Solid Earth), Vol. 121, 8941-8969, doi:10.1002/2016JB013285, 2016.

Heron, P.J., Lowman, J.P., and C. Stein, Influences on the positioning of mantle plumes following supercontinent formation, J. Geophys. Res.(Solid Earth), Vol. 120, 3628-3648, doi:10.1002/2014JB011727, 2015.

Trim, S.J., Heron, P.J., Stein, C., and J.P. Lowman, The feedback between surface mobility and mantle compositional heterogeneity: implications for the Earth and other terrestrial planets, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., Vol. 405, 1-14, 2014.

Yao, C., Deschamps, F., Lowman, J.P., Sanchez, C.V., and P.J. Tackley, Stagnant-lid convection in bottom heated thin 3D-spherical shells: influence of curvature and implications for dwarf planets and icy moons, J. Geophys. Res.(Planets), doi:10.1002/2014JE004653, 2014.

Stein, C., Lowman, J.P., and U. Hansen, A comparison of mantle convection models featuring plates, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. (Gcubed), Vol. 15, doi:10.1002/2013GC005211, 2014.

Heron, P.J., and J.P. Lowman, The impact of Rayleigh number on assessing the significance of supercontinent insulation, J. Geophys. Res.(Solid Earth), Vol. 119, doi:10.1002/2013JB010484. 2014.

Quere, S., Lowman, J.P., Arkani-Hamed, J., Roberts, J., and R. Moucha, Subcontinental sinking slab remnants in a spherical geometry mantle model, J. Geophys. Res.(Solid Earth), Vol. 118(4), 1760-1777, doi:10.1002/jgrb.50102, 2013.

O'Farrell, K.A., Lowman, J.P., and H-.P. Bunge, Comparison of spherical shell and plane-layer mantle convection thermal structure in viscously stratified models with mixed-mode heating: implications for the incorporation of temperature-dependent parameters, Geophys. J. Int., Vol. 192, 456-472, doi:10.1093/gji/ggs053, 2013.

Stein, C., Lowman, J.P., and U. Hansen, The influence of mantle internal heating on lithospheric mobility: implications for super-Earths, Earth Planet Sci. Lett., Vol. 361, 448-459, 2013.

Lowman, J.P., King, S.D., and S.J. Trim, The influence of plate boundary motion on planform in viscously stratified mantle convection models, J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 116, B12402, doi:10.1029/2011JB008362, 2011.

Stein, C., Finnenkotter, A., Lowman, J.P., and U. Hansen, The pressure-weakening effect on Super-Earths: consequences of a decrease in lower mantle viscosity on the surface dynamics, Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 38, L21201, doi:10.1029/2011GL049341, 2011.

Heron, P.J., and J.P. Lowman, The effects of supercontinent size and thermal insulation on the formation of mantle plumes, Tectonophysics, Vol. 510, 28-38, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2011.07.002, 2011.

Lowman, J.P., Mantle convection models featuring plate tectonic behaviour: an overview of methods and progress, Tectonophysics, Vol. 510, 1-16, doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2011.04.015, 2011.

Stein, C., and J.P. Lowman, Response of mantle heat flux to plate evolution, Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 37, L24201, doi:10.1029/2010GL045283, 2010.

Heron, P.J., and J.P. Lowman, Thermal response of the mantle following the formation of a `super-plate', Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 37, L22302, doi:10.1029/2010GL045136, 2010.

O'Farrell, K.A., and J.P. Lowman, Emulating the thermal structure of spherical shell convection in plane-layer geometry mantle convection models, Phys. Earth Planet. Int., Vol. 182, 73-84, doi:10.1016/j.pepi.2010.06.010, 2010.

Lowman, J.P., Gait, A.D., Gable, C.W., and H. Kukreja, Plumes anchored by a high viscosity lower mantle in a 3D mantle convection model featuring dynamically evolving plates , Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 35, doi:10.1029/2008GL035342, 2008.

Gait, A.D., Lowman, J.P., and C.W. Gable, Time-dependence in 3D mantle convection models featuring evolving plates: the effect of lower mantle viscosity , J. Geophys. Res., Vol. 113, B08409, doi:10.1029/2007JB005538, 2008.

Shahnas, M.H., Lowman, J.P., Jarvis, G.T., and H-.P. Bunge, Convection in a spherical shell heated by an isothermal core and internal sources: implications for the thermal state of planetary mantles, Phys. Earth Planet. Int., Vol. 168, 6-15, doi:10.1016/j.pepi.2008.04.007, 2008.

Gait, A.D., and J.P. Lowman, Effect of lower mantle viscosity on the time-dependence of plate velocities in three-dimensional mantle convection models , Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 34, L21304, doi:10.1029/2007GL031396, 2007.

Lowman, J.P., Pinero-Feliciangeli, L.T., Kendall, J.-M., and M.H., Shahnas, Influence of convergent plate boundaries on upper mantle flow and implications for seismic anisotropy , Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. (Gcubed), Vol. 8, Q08007, doi:10.1029/2007GC001627, 2007.

Gait, A.D., and J.P. Lowman, Time-dependence in mantle convection models featuring dynamically evolving plates, Geophys. J. Int., Vol. 171, 463-477, doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X, 2007.

Jarvis, G.T., and J.P. Lowman, Survival times of subducted slab remnants in numerical models of mantle flow , Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., Vol. 260, 23-36, 2007.