Sascha ZertaniBiträdande lektor

Om mig

I am a field-based structural geologist with expertise in combining the observations from the field with micro-analytical and numerical techniques. Currently, I mainly study deformation processes in Earth's continental crust with particular focus on it's rheological response, fluid-rock interaction, fluid flow, and earthquakes. My main research interests are focused on understanding how metamorphism and fluid flow shape the rheological response of crustal rocks. I am particularly interested in processes that lead to switches between brittle and ductile deformation mechanisms.

 

Publications

Zertani, S., Thielmann, M., Menegon, L. (2025). Lower‐crustal earthquakes: Strain rate controls the magnitude and rate of stress amplification in rigid blocks. Geophysical Research Letters, 52(7), e2024GL114350. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL114350

Zertani, S., Morales, L.F.G., Menegon, L. (2024). Omphacite breakdown: nucleation and deformation of clinopyroxene-plagioclase symplectites. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 179(5), 44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02125-0

Zertani, S., Menegon, L., Whitehouse, M.J., Jeon, H., Jamtveit, B. (2024). Dating fossil lower-crustal earthquakes by in-situ apatite U-Pb geochronology. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 630, 118621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118621

Zertani, S., Menegon, L., Pennacchioni, G., Buisman, I., Corfu, F., Jamtveit, B. (2023). Protracted localization of metamorphism and deformation in a heterogeneous lower-crustal shear zone. Journal of Structural Geology, 176, 104960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2023.104960

Michalchuk, S.P., Zertani, S., Renard, F., Fusseis, F., Chogani, A., Plümper, O., Menegon, L. (2023). Dynamic evolution of porosity in lower-crustal faults during the earthquake cycle. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 128, e2023JB026809. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JB026809

Zertani, S., John, T., Brachmann, C., Vrijmoed, J.C., Plümper, O. (2022). Reactive fluid flow guided by grain-scale equilibrium reactions during eclogitization of dry crustal rocks. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 177, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-022-01928-3

Zertani, S., Pleuger, J., Motra, H.B., John, T. (2022). Highly variable petrophysical properties in felsic high-pressure rocks of the continental crust. Lithos, 410-411, 106572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2021.106572

Kaatz, L., Zertani, S., Moulas, E., John, T., Labrousse, L., Schmalholz, S.M., Andersen, T.B. (2021). Widening of hydrous shear zones during incipient eclogitization of metastable dry and rigid lower crust – Holsnøy, Western Norway. Tectonics, 40, e2020TC006572. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020TC006572

Zertani, S., Vrijmoed, J.C., Tilmann, F., John, T., Andersen, T.B., Labrousse, L. (2020). P wave anisotropy caused by partial eclogitization of descending crust demonstrated by modelling effective petrophysical properties. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 21, e2019GC008906. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008906

Zertani, S., John, T., Tilmann, F., Motra, H.B., Keppler, R., Andersen, T.B., Labrousse, L. (2019). Modification of the seismic properties of subducting continental crust by eclogitization and deformation processes. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 124, 9731-9754. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jb017741

Zertani, S., Labrousse, L., John, T., Andersen, T.B., Tilmann, F. (2019). The interplay of eclogitization and deformation during deep burial of the lower continental crust – A case study from the Bergen Arcs (western Norway). Tectonics, 38, 898-915. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018tc005297

Motra, H.B., Zertani, S. (2018): Influence of loading and heating processes on elastic and geomechanical properties of eclogites and granulites. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 10, 127-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2017.11.001