Vénice Akker
Vénice Akker obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences from the VU University Amsterdam and a Master’s degree from ETH Zürich. She completed her PhD at the University of Bern in 2020, where she worked with Prof. Marco Herwegh and Prof. Alfons Berger on the Flysch sediments from the exhumed accretionary wedge in the Swiss Glarus Alps. In this work she investigated the evolution of phyllosilicate-rich slate microstructures during the accretion of foreland basin sediments and implications for mechanical strength, fluid flow and seismicity in accretionary wedges. She continued her research as postdoctoral fellow (2020-2022) at the University of Bern, where she collaborated with the Swiss technical competence centre in the field of deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. In this project she studied fault initiation and reactivation processes in the very low-grade and weakly deformed argillaceous Opalinus Clay Formation. Her research interests range from fundamental research topics such as the localization of strain in phyllosilicate-rich rocks, fluid recycling, fracturing, faulting and veining with regard to earthquake nucleation at convergent plate settings, down to applied problems such as radioactive waste deposits, CO2 sequestration and deep-seated geothermal energy. Vénice is currently involved in the S-SIM project led by Prof. Whitney Behr. Within this project she will investigate the role of sediments and subduction processes on plate interface mechanics with special focus on the Chugach accretionary complex of south-central Alaska.
More information can be found at Vénice’s webpage, and you can find Vénice’s contact info here.