Hélène Le Mével’s research focuses on understanding the surface deformation signals observed at volcanoes to infer the ongoing magmatic processes occurring in the underlying reservoir. Toward this end she uses space and field-based geodesy to identify, model and interpret the ground deformation observed in volcanic areas.

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and data from the Global Positioning System (GPS) allows her to characterize ground motion during volcanic unrest. In addition, gravity data indicate changes in mass and/or density underground. In combination with the surface deformation data sets they are very useful to interpret the volume/pressure change results in terms of magma dynamics. 

In her Ph.D. research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison she used GPS and InSAR data to study the ongoing unrest started in 2007 at Laguna del Maule volcanic field in Chile and characterized by high rates of uplift. Using time series analysis she revealed a nonlinear temporal evolution of the uplift, modeled as the injection of new magma into a large reservoir at depth.

At DTM she is developing numerical models to investigate the magmatic processes responsible for the deformation measured at large silicic systems both on the decadal (“geodetic”) timescale and the geological timescale of thousands of years. These multiphysics models will allow her to consider the evolving physical processes occurring in the magma chamber (e.g. injection of new magma, cooling, crystallization, gas exsolution), thereby considering deformation episodes as observed today in the framework of the complete volcanic cycle. She plans to apply these models coupling multiphase magma dynamics and crustal deformation to a variety of volcanic systems and tectonic settings.