As part of the POSEIDON-EU project, Hanifah recently completed a secondment GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (July-October 2025), where she has been working with Dr. Steffen Kutterolf.
During this time, Hanifah has gained hands-on experience in clast counting and classification under the microscope from smear slides, a method that provides important insights into the composition of volcanic sediments. This work has been combined with the analysis of integrated datasets (sedimentological, geophysical, geochemical), strengthening the classification of volcanic facies.
The secondment has also contributed to the development of a subsampling strategy for future geotechnical testing. Most importantly, these approaches help to interpret offshore volcanic deposits, trace the flows that transported them, and link these findings back to onshore volcanic events.
Altogether, this experience is not only advancing Hanifah’s PhD research on characterising lithology endmembers but also deepening the understanding of volcanic deposits as prime weak-layer candidates in submarine landslide susceptibility. It marks an important step in building both scientific expertise and a future career in marine geoscience.
