My research combines integrated analysis of various types of subsurface data (seismic, potential field and borehole data), geodynamic forward modelling and structural restorations to investigate the structural evolution and architecture of sedimentary basins associated with rifting and gravity-driven tectonics.

My current project focus on 2D and 3D geodynamic modelling of continental rifting and breakup and how these processes interact with sedimentation and gravity-driven salt tectonics to influence the geometry, stratigraphic architecture and evolution of the South Atlantic rifted margins.

Co-founder/chair of AAPG Salt Basins Technical Interest Group (2019 – ongoing) – bi-weekly webinars and YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aapgsaltbasinstechnicalint3170

Active on science communication and outreach, open-science, and EDI issues via Twitter @HaLeoKinetic (>1500 followers)

Lecturer of GEOV251 – Advanced Structural Geology – University of Bergen, Norway

Lecturer of GEOL104 – Introduction to Structural Geology and Tectonics – University of Bergen, Norway

Lecturer of Basin Analysis and Structure (MSc) - Imperial College London, UK (2019-2020)

Lecturer of Seismic Techniques (MSc and BSc) - Imperial College London, UK (2019-2020)

Teaching assistant of Seismic Interpretation (MSc) -University of Manchester, UK (2014-2018)

Teaching assistant of Structural Geology and Geological Mapping (BSc and M Sci) – University of Manchester, UK (2014-2018)

Academic literature review

• Uranga, Rodolfo M.; Manatschal, Gianreto; Rowan, Mark G. et al. (2024). Assessing the impact of crustal architecture and along-strike rifting propagation on salt deposition and tectonics: Insights from the Moroccan Atlantic margin. (external link)

Academic article

• Pichel, Leonardo Muniz; Legeay, Etienne; Ringenbach, Jean-Claude et al. (2023). The West African salt-bearing rifted margin—Regional structural variability and salt tectonics between Gabon and Namibe. (external link)
• Pichel, Leonardo Muniz; Huismans, Ritske Sipke; Gawthorpe, Rob et al. (2023). How post-salt sediment flux and progradation rate influence salt tectonics on rifted margins: Insights from geodynamic modelling. (external link)
• de Oliveira Santos, Carla Hemillay; Pichel, Leonardo Muniz; Alves Da Silva, Fernando César (2023). The effects of subsalt relief on gravity-driven salt tectonics: Results from analogue modelling. (external link)
• do Amarante, Francyne Bochi; Kuchle, Juliano; Jackson, Christopher Aiden-Lee et al. (2023). The cryptic stratigraphic record of the syn- to post-rift transition in the offshore Campos Basin, SE Brazil. (external link)
• Pichel, Leonardo Muniz; Huismans, Ritske Sipke; Gawthorpe, Robert Leslie et al. (2023). Post-salt carbonates control salt-tectonic minibasin formation. (external link)
• Pichel, Leonardo Muniz; Huismans, Ritske Sipke; Gawthorpe, Rob et al. (2022). Late-syn- to post-rift salt tectonics on wide rifted margins—Insights from geodynamic modeling. (external link)
• Pichel, Leonardo Muniz; Ferrer, Oriol; Jackson, Christopher A.-L. et al. (2022). Physical modelling of the interplay between salt-detached gravity gliding and spreading across complex rift topography, Santos Basin, offshore Brazil. (external link)
• de Oliveira Santos, Carla Hemillay; Alves Da Silva, Fernando César; Pichel, Leonardo Muniz (2022). Analogical simulation of salt flow and associated structures in different extensional conditions. (external link)
• Pichel, Leonardo Muniz; Antunes, Alex F.; Fossen, Haakon et al. (2022). The interplay between basement fabric, rifting, syn-rift folding, and inversion in the Rio do Peixe Basin, NE Brazil. (external link)
• Pichel, Leonardo Muniz; Huismans, Ritske Sipke; Gawthorpe, Rob et al. (2022). Coupling Crustal-Scale Rift Architecture With Passive Margin Salt Tectonics: A Geodynamic Modeling Approach. (external link)
• Joffe, Amir; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.; Pichel, Leonardo Muniz (2022). Syn-depositional halokinesis in the Zechstein Supergroup (Lopingian) controls Triassic minibasin genesis and location. (external link)
• Lourenço, Maria Clara Meneses; Jardim De Sá, Emanuel Ferraz; Córdoba, Valéria Centurion et al. (2021). Multi-scale tectono-stratigraphic analysis of pre- and syn-rift sequences in the Rio do Peixe Basin, NE Brazil. (external link)
• Cumberpatch, Zoë A.; Finch, Emma; Kane, Ian A. et al. (2021). Halokinetic modulation of sedimentary thickness and architecture: A numerical modelling approach. (external link)
• do Amarante, Francyne Bochi; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.; Pichel, Leonardo Muniz et al. (2021). Pre-salt rift morphology controls salt tectonics in the Campos Basin, offshore SE Brazil. (external link)
• Pichel, Leonardo Muniz; Jackson, Christopher Aiden-Lee; Peel, Frank et al. (2021). The Merluza Graben: How a failed spreading center influenced margin structure, and salt deposition and tectonics in the Santos Basin, Brazil. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Pichel, L. M., Huismans R., Gawthorpe, R. and Faleide, J. (2023) How do salt tectonic minibasins form? Geology (in review)

Pichel, L. M., Huismans R., Gawthorpe, R. and Faleide, J. (2023) How post-salt sediment fluxes and progradation rates influence salt tectonics on rifted margins? Basin Research (in review)

Pichel, L. M., Legeay, E., Ringenbach, J-C. and Callot, J-P. (2023) The salt-bearing rifted margins in West Africa – regional structural variability and salt tectonics between Gabon and Namibia. Basin Research (in press)

do Amarante, F. B., Jackson, C. A. L., & Pichel, L. M. (2022). Post-salt magmatism in the Campos Basin, offshore SE Brazil: style, distribution, and relationship to salt tectonics
 Journal of South American Earth Sciences (in press)

Joffe, A., Jackson, C. A-L. and Pichel, L. M. (2021) Syn-depositional halokinesis in the Zechstein Supergroup, Central North Sea, UK. Basin Research.

Pichel, L. M., Huismans R., Gawthorpe, R., Faleide, J. and Theunissen, T. (2022) Coupling crustal-scale rift architecture with passive margin salt tectonics: a geodynamic modelling approach. Journal of Geophysical Research – Solid Earth.

de Oliveira Santos, C. H., Da Silva, F. C. A. and Pichel, L. M. (2022). Analogical simulation of salt flow and associated structures in different extensional conditions. Journal of South American Earth Sciences.

Pichel, L. M., Huismans R., Gawthorpe, R., Faleide, J. and Theunissen, T., (2022) Late Syn- and Post-rift Salt Tectonics on Wide Rifted Margins. Tectonics.

Pichel, L. M., Antunes, A. F., Fossen, H., Raposo, B., Finch, E., Cordoba, V. (2022) The interplay between inheritance, rifting, syn-rift folding and post-rift inversion in the Rio do Peixe Basin, NE Brazil. Basin Research.

Lourenço, M. C. M., De Sá, E. F. J., Córdoba, V. C., & Pichel, L. M. (2021). Multi-scale tectono-stratigraphic analysis of pre-and syn-rift sequences in the Rio do Peixe Basin, NE Brazil. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 130, 105127.

Pichel L. M., Ferrer, O, Jackson C. A-L. and Roca-Abella, E. (2021) Analogue modelling of the interplay between gravity gliding and spreading across rift topography in the Santos Basin, Brazil. Basin Research.

Pichel, L. M., Jackson C. A-L.; Peel, F. and Ferrer, O. (2021) The Merluza Graben: how a failed spreading centre influenced margin structure, salt deposition and tectonics in the Santos Basin, Brazil. Tectonics.

Cumberpatch, Z., Finch., E., Kane, I., Pichel L. M., Jackson., C. A-L., Kilhams B., Hodgson D. M. and Huuse M. (2021) Halokinetic modulation of sedimentary thickness and architecture: a numerical modelling approach. Basin Research.

Do Amarante, F. B., Jackson, Pichel, L. M., Scherer C. M. S. and Kuchle, J. (2021) Pre-salt rift morphology controls salt tectonics in the Campos Basin, offshore SE Brazil. Basin Research.

Pichel, L. M. and Jackson C. A-L. (2020) The enigma of the Albian Gap: spatial variability and the competition between extension and salt expulsion. Journal of the Geological Society, London.

Magee C., Pichel L. M., Madden-Nadeau and A., Jackson, C. A-L. (2020) Salt-magma interactions in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil. Basin Research.

Pichel, L. M. and Jackson C. A-L. (2020) Four-Dimensional Variability of Composite Halokinetic Sequences. Basin Research.

Pichel, L. M., Jackson, C. A-L.; Peel, F. and Dooley T. (2019) Base‐salt relief controls salt tectonic structural style, São Paulo Plateau, Santos Basin, Brazil. Basin Research.

Pichel, L.M., Huuse, M., Redfern, J. and Finch. E. (2019) The influence of base-salt relief, rift topography and regional events on salt tectonics offshore Morocco. Marine and Petroleum Geology.

Pichel, L.M., Finch, E. and Gawthorpe, R. (2019) The Impact of Pre-Salt Rift Topography on Salt Tectonics: a Discrete-Element Modelling Approach. Tectonics.

Dooley, T., Hudec, M., Jackson, M.P.A and Pichel, L.M., (2018) The impact of base-salt relief on salt flow and suprasalt deformation patterns at the autochthonous, para-autochthonous and allochthonous level: Insights from physical models in Journal of the Geological Society, London.

Pichel, L.M., Peel, F., Jackson C. A-L. and Huuse, M. (2018) Geometry and Kinematics of Ramp-Syncline Basins. Journal of Structural Geology.

Pichel, L.M., Finch E., Huuse, M. and Redfern, J. (2017) The Influence of Shortening and Sedimentation on Rejuvenation of Salt Diapirs: A New Discrete-Element Modelling Approach. Journal of Structural Geology.

Geodynamics of salt-bearing rifted margins (Principal Investigator)

2D and 3D numerical modelling of rifting and linkage along the Campos-Santos Basin, Brazil