Thursday, August 22, 2013

NERC-funded PhD studentship at Northumbria University

Dear Colleagues,

 

NERC-funded PhD studentship ‘Air temperature distribution across melting

glaciers’. Application deadline 5th September 2013.

 

Northumbria University Geography Department is advertising a NERC-funded

PhD studentship on ‘Air temperature distribution across melting glaciers’

with a start date in autumn 2013 or January 2014. We are keen for candidates

with a background in earth or atmospheric science or physical geography to

apply. Further details are given below.

 

UK applicants are eligible for fees, maintenance grant and fieldwork costs.

EU applicants are eligible for fees and fieldwork costs, but not the maintenance

grant, unless they have been continuously resident in the UK for the past 3 years.

 

Thanks and kind regards,

Ben

 

 

Location: Department of Geography, Engineering and Environment Faculty,

Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK.

Project Title: Air temperature distribution across melting glaciers

Project Supervisor(s): Dr Ben Brock Benjamin.brock@northumbria.ac.uk

Dr Nick Rutter nick.rutter@northumbria.ac.uk

Funding Availability: NERC Studentship

http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/studentships/>

Application deadline: 5th September 2013, start date 1st October 2013

or 1st January 2014 (flexible)

Project description:

Near surface air temperature is the most important variable determining

the melt rate at a snow or ice surface, but we have only a crude

understanding of how and why air temperature varies across glaciers,

impeding our ability to model their response to climatic variations. This

project will: i) characterise the spatio-temporal variability of air

temperature over glaciers and identify its main controls and physical drivers;

and ii) develop numerical models of glacier air temperature regimes which

can be implemented in glacier ablation models. The project will involve

detailed measurements on clean and debris-covered mountain glaciers and

analysis with atmospheric models, developing a wide range of valuable skills.

The outcomes will improve assessments of glacier response to climate change

for water resource management in mountain regions. The student and

supervisors will work closely with UK, Swiss and Italian partners.

 

Required qualifications: A good honours degree (2:1 or above, or 2:2 + a

Masters degree).

 

Desirable knowledge and skills: Background in geography, earth or

atmospheric science. Physically fit and willing to undertake fieldwork

in mountain environments. Numeracy and knowledge of GIS/remote

sensing software and programming, e.g. Matlab would be an advantage.

 

For further information regarding the project please contact Dr Ben Brock,

email: Benjamin.brock@northumbria.ac.uk, tel. +44(0)191 227 3225

 

For any queries relating to applications, please contact Karen Vacher,

email: eb.pgrstudentships@northumbria.ac.uk or telephone

+44(0)191 227 3244

 

Funding notes: Includes fees, £13, 726 pa maintenance grant, and money

for fieldwork, training and conference attendance for UK students. EU

students are eligible for fees, fieldwork, training and conference support,

but not the maintenance grant, unless they have been continuously

resident in the UK for the past 3 years.

 

Dr Ben Brock

Reader in Remote Sensing

Engineering and Environment

Northumbria University

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE1 8ST

Email: Benjamin.brock@northumbria.ac.uk

Tel. +44 (0)191 227 3225