Sergio Zlotnik

Currently:Lecturer at UPC, BarcelonaTech

Contact Information

Rm 203, Building C2
UPC, BarcelonaTech
Jordi Girona 1-3,
Barcelona (E-08034), Spain
phone: (+34) 93 401 7760
fax: (+34) 93 401 1825
WWW:

Personal Information

Date of Birth: 28 February, 1974
Place of Birth: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Personal address: C/Margarit 70, 4, Barcelona (08004), Spain

Research Interests

My primary research interests lie in numerical methods and its application to solve dynamical geological and geophysical problems. This includes plate tectonics, self-consistent lithospheric and mantle dynamics and rock deformation. All these problems are particulary challenging from the numerical point of view. New numerical tools are needed to reproduce the multi-scale character of the physics of the planets interior.

Education

  • Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Ph.D. Geophysics, June 2008
    • Dissertation Topic: Numerical modelling of transient multiphase thermo-mechanical problems: Application to the oceanic lithosphere
    • Advisors: Manel Fernández, Pedro Díez and Jaume Vergés
    • Awarded as best thesis of the Facultad de Geología, Universitat de Barcelona, 2008.
    • Special mention by the Fundación J. García-Siñeriz for best PhD Thesis in Spain in Applied Geophysics, 2008-2009
    • Awarded as the second best numerical thesis, Spain 2008, by Sociedad Española de Métodos Numéricos en Ingeniería.
  • Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Licenciado Ciencias de la Computación (Computer Sciencies), 2002
    • Dissertation Topic: Discrete Element Method applied to rock deformation processes
    • Advisors: Ernersto Cristallini and Pablo Jacovkis
    • Degree accredited as equivalent to the corresponding Spanish degree ``Ingeniero en Informática by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, 2004.
  • Accreditation by Agència per a Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya, Spain
    • Professor Lector, 2008
    • Professor Agregado, 2012

Academic Experience

  • Lecturer at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, 2010

    • LaCàN group at Applied Mathematics Department.
  • Australian Research Council Research Fellow at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, 2008-2010

    • Group of Geodynamics, School of Geosciencies/School of Mathematical Sciencies.
    • Solid Earth geophysics/Computational Geodynamics.
    • Development and application of 3D numerical models to study gravitational instabilities on the base of the lithosphere. Application to New Zealand.
    • Coupling of petrological-thermodynamic models with thermo-mechanical dynamical models. Application to a tectonic arc-continent collision setting.
  • Postdoc at Earth Sciencies Institute Jaume Almera, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain, 2008

    • Group of Dynamics of the lithosphere.
    • Solid Earth geodynamic research.
  • PhD student at Earth Sciencies Institute Jaume Almera, CSIC ,Barcelona, Spain, 2003-2008

    • Group of Dynamics of the lithosphere.
    • Includes Ph.D. research, Ph.D. level coursework and research projects.
  • Associate Professor at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, 2006-2008

    • LaCàN group at Applied Mathematics Department.
    • Several co-taught numerical methods courses for Geological Engineering and Civil Engineering students
  • Teaching Assistant at Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1997-2002

    Computer Sciences Department.

  • Coordinator Teaching Assistant at Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Argentina, 2002-2005

    Computer Sciences Department.

Projects

  • Desarrollo y análisis del método PGD para procesos de conformado termoplastico

    • Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, DPI2011-27778-C02-02
    • 2012-2014
    • Funds: 122.000 euros
    • Principal Investigator: Antonio Huerta Cerezuela
  • The Initiation and 3D Evolution of Instabilities in the Deep Continental Lithosphere

    • Australian Research Council, DP1095166
    • 2010-2012
    • Funds: 370.000 au$
    • Principal Investigator: Louis Moresi
  • El sistema del Arco de Gibraltar: procesos geodinámicos activos de los márgenes sud-ibéricos

    • MCyT-DGI, CTM2005-08071-C03-03/MAR
    • 2005-2008
    • Funds: 72.590 euros
    • Principal Investigator: Manel Fernández
  • Estructura cortical y litosférica, movimientos verticales y dinámica sedimentaria en el margen septentrional del Mediterráneo Occidental

    • MCyT-DGI, REN2002-11230-E-MAR
    • 2003-2007
    • Funds: 140.000 euros
    • Principal Investigator: Manel Fernández
  • Imaging the Western Mediterranean Margins: A key target to understand the interaction between deep and shallow processes

  • Spanish, French, Dutch, German and Italian National Agencies under the European Science Foundation coordination, 01-LEC-EMA22F, ESF Eurocores -EUROMARGINS

  • 2004 - 2007
  • Funds: 1.200.000 euros
  • Principal Investigator: Manel Fernández
  • Models for concurrent and distributed systems

    • Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Universidad de Buenos Aires, EX-003
    • 2000-2002
    • Principal Investigator: Roberto José Gabriel Bevilacqua

Publications

  • P. Díez, S. Zlotnik and R. Cottereau. Enforcing interface flux continuity in enhanced XFEM: stability analysis. Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach. Advanced Computational Engineering Organised by O. Allix, C. Carstensen, J. Schröder, Essen Peter Wriggers, 2012
  • F. Capitanio, C. Faccena, S. Zlotnik and D. Stegman. Subduction dynamics and the origin of Andean orogeny and Bolivian Orocline. Nature, Vol. 490, 83-86, 2011. doi:10.1038/nature10596
  • D. Modesto, S. Zlotnik, A. Huerta. A proper generalized decomposition for the parametrized wave problem. Full paper in proceedings of the V International Conference on Adaptive Modeling and Simulation, ADMOS, 2011.
  • A. Cabrera, R. Weinberg, H. Wrigth, S. Zlotnik, R. Cas. Magma fracturing and healing: a mechanism for rhyolite magma degassing and origin of obsidian. Geology, Vol. 39, p. 67-70, 2011.
  • F. Capitanio, S. Zlotnik and C. Faccena. Controls on subduction reorganization in the Hellenic margin, eastern Mediterranean. Geophysical Research Letters, 37, L14309, doi:10.1029/2010GL044054, 2010.
  • S. Zlotnik and P. Díez. Assembling sparse matrices in Matlab. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 26, 760-769, 2010. Communications in Numerical Methods in Engineering, Published on line doi: 10.1002/cnm.1174, 2008.
  • J.C. Afonso and S. Zlotnik. The subductability of continental lithosphere: the before and after story. Frontiers in Earth Sciences, “Arc-Continent Collision”. D. Brown and P. Ryan Eds. ISBN:978-3-540-88557-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-88558
  • S. Zlotnik and P. Díez. Hierarchical X-FEM for n-phase flow (n>2). Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 198, 2329–2338, 2009.
  • S. Zlotnik, M.Fernández, P. Díez and J. Vergés. Modelling gravitational instabilities: slab break-off and Rayleigh–Taylor diapirism. Pure and Applied Geophysics, Vol. 165, 1-20, doi:10.1007/s00024-004-0386-9, 2008.
  • S. Zlotnik, J.C. Afonso, P. Díez and M. Fernández. Small-scale gravitational instabilities under the oceans: Implications for the evolution of oceanic lithosphere and its expression in geophysical observables. Philosophical Magazine, Vol. 88, 28&29, 3197–3217, 2008.
  • J.C. Afonso, S. Zlotnik and M. Fernández. The effects of compositional and rheological stratifications on small-scale convection under the oceans: implications for the thickness of the oceanic lithosphere and seafloor flattening. Geophysical Research Letters. Vol. 35, L20308, doi:10.1029/2008GL035419, 2008.
  • P. Díez and S. Zlotnik. Simulation of tectonic plates subduction with a multi-phase X-FEM model: level set representation, functional enrichment and numerical integration. International Journal of Material Forming. Symposium MS16: ESAFORM-ECCOMAS Workshop, 2008
  • S. Zlotnik, P. Díez, M. Fernández and J. Vergés. Numerical modelling of tectonic plates subduction using X-FEM. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 196, 4283–4293, 2007.
  • S. Zlotnik, P. Díez, M. Fernández and J. Vergés. Multiphase geophysical modeling of detachment process using level sets. In: P. Diez and N.E. Wiberg (Ed.s), Proc. International conference on Adaptive Modelling and Simulation (ADMOS), pages 331-334, 2005.

Conferences

_images/2012-06-congress.png

Number of conference presentation per area.

  • M. Fernández, I. Jiménez-Munt, S. Zlotnik.

    Coupled lithospheric mantle thickening in the NW-Moroccan margin and mantle thinning beneath the Atlas Mountains. 34th International Geological Congress, Brisbane Australia, 2012.

  • D. Modesto, S. Zlotnik, A. Huerta.

    The Proper Generalized Decomposition applied to a parametrized wave propagation problem. 10th World congress on Computational Mechanics, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2012.

  • D. Modesto, S. Zlotnik, A. Huerta.

    The Proper Generalized Decomposition applied to a practical wave propagation problem. European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering, Vienna, 2012.

  • S. Zlotnik, P. Díez and R. Cottereau.

    A stable XFEM formulation for multi-phase problems enforcing the accuracy of the fluxes. European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering, Vienna, 2012.

  • D. Modesto, S. Zlotnik, S. Fernández-Méndez and A. Huerta.

    Efficiency and accuracy of high-order computations and reduced order modelling in coastal engineering wave propagation problems. Young Investigators Conference, Aveiro, Portugal, 2012.

  • I.M. Penna, S. Daicz, S. Zlotnik, Marc-Henri Derron, M. Jaboyedoff.

    Natural dam failure in the eastern slope of the central andes of Argentina. The Santa Cruz river outburst flood. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, April 2012.

  • I. Jiménez-Munt, M. Fernandez and S. Zlotnik.

    Combined underthrusting and mantle dripping - lateral dragging controlling the lithosphere structure of the NW-Moroccan margin and the Atlas Mountains. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, April 2012.

  • D. Modesto, S. Zlotnik, S. Fernández–Mèndez and A. Huerta.

    Efficiancy and accuracy of high–order computations and reduced order modelling in wave propagation problems. 11th Workshop on Numerical Methods in Applied Sciencies and Engineering, Barcelona, 2012.

  • J.C. Afonso and S. Zlotnik.

    The subductability of the continental lithosphere in collisional settings: results from coupled thermodynamic-thermomechanical numerical modelling. AGU Fall meeting, Invited talk, San Francisco, USA, December 2011.

  • R. Cottereau, P. Díez and S. Zlotnik.

    How bad XFEM behaves at estimating fluxes close to the interface and how to improve that behaviour. ADMOS conference, Paris, June 2011.

  • J.C. Afonso, Y Yang, J Fullea, S Lebedev and S. Zlotnik.

    A 3D multi-observable probabilistic inversion method for the compositional and thermal structure of the lithosphere and sublithospheric upper mantle. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, April 2011.

  • J. Fullea, M. Muller, A. Jones, J.C. Afonso and S. Zlotnik.

    Imaging the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary of southern Africa integrating elevation, surface heat flow, magnetotelluric and petrological data, EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, April 2011

  • S. Zlotnik and J.C. Afonso.

    Ultra-deep subduction of continental material: Results from coupled thermodynamic-thermomechanical numerical modelling. AGU Fall meeting, San Francisco, USA, December 2010.

  • S. Zlotnik, L. Moresi, M. Faccenda, J.C. Afonso and T. Stern.

    Tectonic evolution of the North Island of New Zealand. Geomod meeting, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2010.

  • J.C. Afonso and S. Zlotnik.

    The fate of subducted continental material: Results from coupled thermodynamic-thermomechanical numerical modelling. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2010, Vienna, Austria, April 2010.

  • Convener of the Session The Nature, Frequency, Size and Consequences of Instabilities of the Continental Lithosphere on the AGU Fall meeting, San Francisco, USA, December 2009.

  • J.C. Afonso and S. Zlotnik.

    The subductability of continental lithosphere. Arc-Continent Collision meeting, Galway, Ireland, May 2009.

  • J.C. Afonso, S. Zlotnik, J. Fullea and M. Fernández.

    The effects of compositional and rheological stratifications on the evolution of oceanic lithosphere from geophysical-petrological-dynamic modelling. American Geosciences Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA, December 2008.

  • J. Fullea, J.C. Afonso, J.A.D. Connoly, M. Fernández, D. García-Castellanos and S. Zlotnik.

    Characterizing the lithospheric-sublithospheric upper mantle system in 3D: its thermal, compositional, seismological and rheological structure. American Geosciences Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA, December 2008.

  • M. Fernández, J.C. Afonso, J. Fullea and S. Zlotnik.

    New insights into the characterization of the crust and upper mantle from integrated modelling techniques. 4th International TOPO-EUROPE Workshop, Madrid, Spain, 2008.

  • S. Zlotnik, J.C. Afonso, M. Fernández, J. Fullea and P. Díez.

    Evolution of the oceanic lithosphere: Small–scale convection and the rheology of the mantle. GeoMod 2008, Florence, Italy, September 2008.

  • J. Fullea, J.C. Afonso, S. Zlotnik and M. Fernández.

    LITMOD3D: A new 3D program for modelling the thermal, compositional, density, rheological and seismological structure of the lithosphere. GeoMod 2008, Florence, Italy, September 2008.

  • S. Zlotnik, J.C. Afonso, M. Fernández and J. Fullea.

    The influence of water in the rheological layering of the oceanic lithosphere and its relation with small-scale convection processes. ThermodynaMix II: Building a community data base of thermodynamic parameters for mantle minerals, Barcelona, September 2008.

  • J.C. Afonso, M. Fernández, J. Fullea and S. Zlotnik.

    The lithospheric/sub-lithospheric upper mantle system: advances and limitations from recent multidisciplinary studies. 33rd International Geological Congress, Oslo, Norway, August 2008.

  • S. Zlotnik, P. Díez and M. Fernández.

    Hierarchical X-FEM for $n$–phase flow. Workshop for Advancing Numerical Modelling of Mantle Convection and Lithospheric Dynamics. Davis, USA, July 2008.

  • P. Díez and S. Zlotnik.

    Hierarchical X-FEM. 8th World Congress on Computational Mechanics, Venice, Italy, June 2008.

  • S. Zlotnik, J.C. Afonso, J. Fullea, M. Fernández and P. Díez.

    Evolution and stability of oceanic lithosphere: small-scale convection and the rheology of the sub-lithospheric mantle. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2008, Vienna, Austria, April 2008.

  • J.C. Afonso, M. Pérez-Gussinyé, J. Fullea and S. Zlotnik, M. Fernández.

    The nature of the lithospheric and sub-lithospheric upper mantle: recent views from interdisciplinary studies and their limitations. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2008, Vienna, Austria, April 2008.

  • J. Fullea, J.C. Afonso, J.A.D. Connolly, S. Zlotnik and M. Fernández.

    LitMod3D: a new 3D program for modelling the thermal, compositional, density, rheological, and seismological structure of the lithosphere. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2008, Vienna, Austria, April 2008.

  • V.C. Manea, M. Pérez-Gussinyé, M. Manea, S. Zlotnik and M. Fernández.

    Influence of upper plate structure and mantle viscosity on subduction geometry in South America: insights from numerical modelling. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2008, Vienna, Austria, April 2008.

  • S. Zlotnik.

    A numerical study of the stability of the oceanic lithosphere. 7th Workshop on Numerical Methods in Applied Science and Engineering, Vall de Nuria, Spain, January 2008.

  • S. Zlotnik and P. Díez.

    Hierarchical X-FEM applied to $n$–phase flow. 7th Workshop on Numerical Methods in Applied Science and Engineering, Vall de Nuria, Spain, January 2008.

  • S. Zlotnik, P. Díez, M. Fernández and J. Vergés.

    Plate Tectonic subduction simulation using X-FEM. Instabilities Across the Scales Symposium, Delft, The Netherlands, July 2007.

  • S. Zlotnik, M. Fernández, P. Díez and J. Vergés.

    A new code for dynamic subduction simulation. Subduction zone geodynamics conference, Montpellier, France, Juny 2007.

  • P. Díez, S. Zlotnik, M. Fernández and J. Vergés.

    Multi–Phase Thermo–Mechanical Modeling of Plate Subduction Processes: the X-FEM Approach. Coupled Problems, Ibiza, Spain, 2007.

  • S. Zlotnik, M. Fernández, P. Díez and J. Vergés.

    A numerical study of subduction parameters. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2007, Session GD07: Dynamics and Thermal Structure of Subduction Zones, Vienna, Austria, April 2007.

  • S. Zlotnik and P. Díez.

    Numerical Modelling of Tectonic Plate Subduction using X-FEM. 6th Workshop on Numerical Methods in Applied Science and Engineering, Vall de Nuria, Spain, January 2007.

  • S. Zlotnik.

    Sparse matrix assembly. 6th Workshop on Numerical Methods in Applied Science and Engineering, Vall de Nuria, Spain, January 2007.

  • S. Zlotnik, M. Fernández, J. Vergés and P. Díez.

    Thermo–mechanical numerical modelling of subduction processes. Backbone of the Americas–Patagonia to Alaska, Geological Society of America, Mendoza, Argentina, April 2006.

  • S. Zlotnik, M. Fernández, P. Díez and J. Vergés.

    Numerical modelling of subduction processes. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2006, Session GD07: Dynamics and Thermal Structure of Subduction Zones, Vienna, Austria, April 2006.

  • S. Zlotnik and P. Díez.

    X-FEM applied to geophysical models. 5th Workshop on Numerical Methods in Applied Science and Engineering, Vall de Nuria, Spain, January 2006.

  • S. Zlotnik and P. Díez.

    Slab Detachment Model. 4rt Workshop on Numerical Methods in Applied Science and Engineering, Vall de Nuria, Spain, January 2005.

  • S. Zlotnik, E. Cristallini P. Jacovkis and J. Calvo.

    Simulación de pliegues con el Modelo de Elementos Discretos. XV Congreso Geológico Argentino, 2002.

  • A. Folguera, D. Melnick, D. Yagupsky, D. Iaffa and S. Zlotnik.

    Pull Apart del Copahue. Estado tensional del arco volcánico a los 38 S. A. XV Congreso Geológico Argentino, 2002.

  • S. Zlotnik, E. Cristallini and P. Jacovkis.

    Simulación de reservorios mediante el modelo de elementos discretos. Instituto Argentino de Gas y Petroleo, 2001.

  • A. Tróccoli and S. Zlotnik.

    Alfa-1: A simulated computer with educational purposes. USENIX Annual Technical Conference, San Diego, USA, 2000.

  • S. Daicz, A. Tróccoli, S. Zlotnik and G. Wainer.

    Using the DEVS paradigm to implement a Simulated Processor. In Proceedings of the 33rd Anuual Symposium on Computer Simulation, Washington D.C., USA, 1998.

Professional Experience

  • 1995-2003: Programmer Analyst, Emprosoft Argentina S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    Carried out several consulting projects, including development and support of call accounting software including reports, data processing, data storage, communication protocols, etc.

Contact

Sergio Zlotnik
+34 93 401 7760