Juan Carlos Afonso

Thermal structure of the North China Craton

A/Prof. Juan Carlos Afonso

A/Prof. Juan C. Afonso's background is in computational geoscience and geodata integration. His research centers on understanding the thermochemical structure and evolution of the lithosphere, as well as the mechanical and geochemical interactions between tectonic plates and the sublithospheric upper mantle. His work explores how these interactions influence both regional and global tectonic processes, with implications for plate dynamics, mantle convection, and crustal evolution.

His most recent research integrates machine learning, multiscale probabilistic inversion, and numerical modeling to investigate some of the most fundamental questions about the nature and evolution of the lithosphere and upper mantle using a formal combination of multiple satellite (e.g. gravity, magnetic field) and land-based (e.g. geochemistry, seismic) data sets.

He also works on the development of novel numerical algorithms to model the complex coupling between geodynamic and geochemical processes. This work directly supports the global energy transition by enabling more accurate and physically realistic models for geothermal resource assessment and critical mineral exploration. His methodologies assist in identifying subsurface conditions favorable for sustainable energy development and securing the raw materials essential for clean energy technologies.

Seminar

03.21.2023

The National Chemistry

Conference

01.10.2023

NEWS

- New PhD fellowships for a geophysics project will be advertised soon!!! Stay tuned... :)

- We had a blast at the First EarthSafe School in Enschede in October 2024 and we are now looking forward to the second EarthSafe School in Barcelona in June 2025!!

- A new manuscript (in review) presenting our latest version of the software platform LitMod3D_4INV can be viewed here: https://essopenarchive.org/users/801237/articles/1182915-multi-observable-thermochemical-tomography-new-advances-and-applications-to-the-superior-and-north-australian-cratons

- Delighted to be an invited speaker at the "Unlocking Geothermal Potential in the EU" International Conference hosted by Prof. Zdzisław Krasnodębski (Member of the European Parliament) in Poznań (Poland).

- We started the NWO DeepNL Project INTEGRATION!! Welcome Janneke De Laat, Mark Jefferd, and Mahsa Ashraf Navir to the team!!

- In 2024 we are starting a historic seismic project with colleagues in Argentina, China and Australia to image the backbone of the Patagonian lithosphere!! PhD positions will be available very soon!

- A new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network has been awarded to us by the EU!!! 10 PhD projects have been selected!

- Our collaborations with Geoscience Australia re going strong. Some initial models can be downloaded from the GA website: model1 and model2. More models in full 3D are coming!!!!

- Happy to be part of the new ESA-funded '4D Earth' research program.

- We are always looking for outstanding motivated students to join our PhD cohort. Send me an email if you are interested in doing a PhD with us.

SOME RECENT ARTICLES

Ball, P., Banks, G., Montgomery, M., Afonso, J.C., Rogers, T. (2025), Global screening for superhot rock geothermal energy: geodynamic settings, prospective heat endowments and extraction techniques. In: Livescu, S. and Dindoruk, B. (eds.). Geothermal Energy Engineering, Elsevier.
Afonso, J. C., A. Wansing, P. Ajourlou, J. Hopper, and J. Ebbing (2025), Beneath Greenland, insights for energy transitions and climate models, EOS, 106, https://doi.org/10.1029/2025EO250019.
Salajegheh, F., Afonso, J.C., Minakov, A., Ajourlou, P., Gaina, C., Ortega, O. (2025), The lithosphere-asthenosphere system beneath the North Atlantic and surroundings: results from multi-observable probabilistic inversions, Geochem, Geophys, Geosys, 26, e2024GC011724. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GC011724.
Akinremi, S., et al., (2024) Waveform fitting of receiver functions for enhanced retrieval of crustal structure in the prescence of sediments. J. Geophys. Res., 129, doi:10.1029/2023JB02839.
Dave, R., Darbyshire, F., Afonso, J.C., Fomin, I. (2024) Thermochemical structure of the Superior craton and environs: Implications for the evolution and preservation of cratonic lithosphere, G-cubed, 25, doi:10.1029/2024GC011454.
Manassero, M.C., Ozaydin, S., Afonso, J.C., Shea, J., Thiel, S., Kikby, A., Fomin, I., Czarnota, K. (2024) Lithospheric structure and melting processes in southeast Australia: new constraints from joint probabilistic inversions of 3D magnetotelluric and seismic data. J. Geophys. Res., 129, e2023JB028257. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JB028257.
Zhang, A., Guo, Z., Afonso, J.C., Shellnutt, G., Yang, Y. (2024), Mantle Plume-Lithosphere Interactions Beneath the Emeishan Large Igneous Province, Geophysical Research Letters, 51, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106973.
Burcet, M., Oliveira, B., Afonso, J.C., Zlotnik, S. (2023), A Face-Centred Finite Volume approach for coupled transport phenomena and fluid flow. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 125, 293-312, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2023.08.031.
Zhang, Y., Lü, Q., Shi, D., Yang, Y., Afonso, J.C., Xu, Y., Yan, J., Gong, X., Xu, T. (2023) The crustal and uppermost mantle Vs structure of the Middle and Lower reaches of the Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt: implications for metallogenic processes. J. Geophys. Res., 128, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JB026817.
Salajeghegh, F., Afonso, J.C. (2023), The upper mantle geoid for lithospheric structure and dynamics. J. Geophys. Res., 128, e2023JB026397. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JB026397
Wu, S., Yang, Y., Xu, X., Afonso, J.C., Zhang, A. (2023), A Fossil Oceanic Lithosphere Preserved in the Middle of a Continent, Geology, https://doi.org/10.1130/G50656.1.
Sellars, J., Ball, P., Gould, K., Afonso, J.C. (2023) Mapping the 450 oC isotherm: Exploring the potential of deep, superhot, geothermal in Canada. Reservoir, 4, 50, 16-20. PDF
Tauzin, B., Waszek, L., Ballmer, M., Afonso, J.C., Bodin, T. (2022), Basaltic reservoirs in the Earth's mantle transition zone. PNAS, 119, 48, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2209399119.
Afonso, J. C., Ben-Mansour, W., O'Reilly, S., Griffin, W., Salajeghegh, F., Foley, S., Begg, G., Selway, K., Macdonald, A., Jenuszczak, N., Fomin, I., Nyblade, A. (2022), Thermochemical structure and evolution of cratonic lithosphere in Central and South Africa, Nature Geoscience, 15, 405–410 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-00929-y (also in https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/2937/).
Waszek, L., Tauzin, B., Schmerr, N., Ballmer, M., Afonso, J.C. (2021), A poorly mixed mantle and its thermal state inferred from seismic waves, Nature Geoscience, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00850-w.
Zhang, A., Guo, Z., Afonso, J.C., Handley, H., Dai, H., Yang., Y., Chen, Y. (2021), Lithosphere-asthenosphere interactions beneath Northeast China and the origin of intraplate volcanism, Geology, doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G49375.1
Oliveira, B., Afonso, J.C., Kloecking, M. (2021) Melting conditions and mantle source composition from probabilistic joint inversion of major and rare earth element concentrations, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 315, doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.09.008 (also in EarthArxiv).
Manassero, M.C., Afonso, J.C., Zyserman, F., Zlotnik, S., Fomin, I. (2021) A Reduced Order Approach for Probabilistic Inversions of 3D Magnetotelluric Data II: Joint inversion of MT and surface wave data, JGR, 126, e2021JB021962. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB021962 (also in EarthArxiv)
Yang, X., Li, Y., Afonso, J.C., Yingjie, Y., Zhang, A. (2021) Thermochemical State of the Upper Mantle beneath South China from Multi-observable Probabilistic Inversion, JGR, 126, e2020JB021114. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JB021114.
Fullea J., Negredo, A., Charco, M., Palomeras, I., Villaseñor, A., Afonso, J.C. (2021) The topography of the Iberian Peninsula from integrated geophysical-petrological multi-data inversion, Phys. Earth Planet. Int., 314, doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2021.106691.
Dai, H., Oliveira, B., Zheng, J., Griffi, W.L., Afonso, J.C., Xiong, Q., O'Reilly, S.Y. (2021) Melting dynamics of Late Cretaceous lamprophyres in central Asia suggest a mechanism to explain many continental intraplate basaltic suite magmatic provinces, J. Geophys. Res. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB021663.
M.G. Pamato, D. Novella, D.E. Jacob, B. Oliveira, D.G. Pearson, S. Greene, J.C. Afonso, M. Favero, T. Stachel, M. Alvaro, F. Nestola (2021) Protogenetic sulphide inclusions in diamonds can still yield a diamond formation age, Geology, doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G48651.1.
Oliveira, B. Griffin, L.,Gain, S., Saunders, M., Shaw, J., Toledo, V., Afonso, J.C., O’Reilly, S.Y. (2021). Ti3+ in corundum: Tracer of crystal growth in a highly reduced magma, Scientific Reports, 11, 2439, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-79739-4.