Dr. Naïm Celini

My research focuses on structural geology, salt tectonics and the analysis of sedimentary basins and fold-and-thrust belts.

During my PhD, I investigated the impact of evaporites and salt tectonics on the formation of external European Western Alps, basing my research on solely field data. Subsequently, I held a first postdoctoral position in which I studied the tectono-thermal evolution of the Western Alps using the Raman Spectroscopy of Carbonaceous Material thermometry. I also examined temperature distribution around salt structures in the external Western Alps.

In 2023 I joined TotalEnergies as a postdoctoral researcher working on intra-salt deformation for underground hydrogen storage as part of the “Deep in Salt” project. I used analogue modeling to study the internal deformation of diapiric structures made of heterogeneous salt formations. Then, I worked for TotalEnergies and Akkodis as a co-supervisor of the Deep in Salt project.

Research Interests

Structural Geology, Salt tectonics, sedimentary basins analysis, fold-and-thrust belts evolution

Education

MSc, ENSEGID – Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux, France, 2016

PhD, Geology, University of Pau and the Adour Countries, Pau, France, 2020

Professional History

Geological Engineer and Researcher, TotalEnergies/Akkodis, Pau, France (March 2024 – July 2025)

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pau and the Adour Countries/TotalEnergies, Pau, France (March 2023 – February 2024)

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pau/French Geological Survey (BRGM), Pau/Orleans, France (December 2020 – May 2022)

Selected Publications

Pichat A., Celini N., Schueller-Messier S., Mengus J-M., Gout C., Delahaye S., Callot J-P., (2025), Intra-salt deformation of K-Mg salt layers in diapiric structures, an analogue modelling approach. Tectonophysics, 898, 230635, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2025.230635.

Celini N., Pichat A., Ringenbach J-C., (2024), Salt tectonics synchronous with salt deposition in the Santos Basin (Ariri formation, Brazil). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 641, 118853, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118853.

Celini N., Pichat A., Mouthereau F., Ringenbach J-C., Callot J-P., (2024), Along-strike variations of structural style in the external Western Alps (France): Review, insights from analogue models and the role of salt. Journal of Structural Geology, 179, 105048, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2023.105048

Celini N., Mouthereau F., Lahfid A., Gout C., Callot J-P., (2023), Rift thermal inheritance in SW Alps (France): Insights from RSCM thermometry and 1D thermal numerical modelling, Solid Earth, 14, 1-16, doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-1-2023

Celini N., Callot J-P. , Pichat A., Legeay E., Graham R. & Ringenbach J-C., (2022), Secondary minibasins in orogens: examples from the Sivas basin (Turkey) and the sub-Alpine fold-and-thrust belt (France), Journal of Structural Geology, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2022.104555