Two exciting PhD studentship in physical geography are available in the Cold and Palaeoenvironments Research Group at Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
PhD-1. Susceptibility of Arctic permafrost carbon to microbial respiration.
Recent climate change in the Arctic has increased air and soil temperatures and thawed large areas of ancient frozen soils (permafrost up to 30,000 y old). Permafrost contains vast stocks of carbon (C) approximately twice the size of the entire current atmospheric pool as CO2. Once thawed, these newly available C pools become available for processing by microorganisms in soils directly, but can also be mobilised into aquatic systems where their subsequent fate is as yet poorly understood.
This interdisciplinary project aims to examine the rate and type of C loss during transit through Arctic aquatic systems. Recent research suggests that permafrost-derived C in freshwaters is preferentially utilised by microbes and photo-degraded by sunlight, thus providing important positive feedbacks upon climate. The overall objectives of the project are to identify the major constraints and controls upon degradation rates and to develop simple numerical models to allow predictions of future changes to C turnover under future climate change scenarios.
Laboratory and field experiments in North East Siberia will be conducted to examine how the composition of organic C (and its associated nutrient pool) influences its removal. Bioassays will be used to assess differences in bacterial community composition, production/ respiration and enzymatic expression under different mixing scenarios.
The project is best suited for applicants that enjoy both field and laboratory work and with a strong interest in physical geography, aquatic science or biogeochemistry. Applicants will work closely with US, Dutch and Russian collaborators and should be fit and able to conduct fieldwork.
For further details and how to apply please visit:http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=53591
Enquiries regarding this studentship should be made to Paul Mann: paul.mann@northumbria.ac.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PhD-2. Environmental records of past anthropogenic activities in Southeast Europe.
Southeast Europe hosts some of the most important metal deposits (Cu-Pb-Zn-Sn-As; Au-Ag) in Europe, with the largest gold-silver (Romania) and copper (Serbia) continental reserves. This area played a crucial role in the history of metallurgy, with evidence that ore extraction and processing commenced at a regional scale as early as 7500-8500 years B.P. Furthermore, the Carpathian-Balkan area has one of Europe’s largest inventories of pre-Antiquity metal artefacts providing another argument for the profound cultural and technological advancements that originated here, especially during Neolithic and early Metal Ages. However, most reconstructions of long-term continental anthropogenic pollution at centennial to millennial time-scales discuss past developments without reference to the Carpathian-Balkan area.
This project will develop a combination of peat bog and speleothem records with the aim to address the following objectives:
1. Establish a representative regional network of sedimentary records that would allow assessing at high resolution and through a multi-proxy (Pb, O, C isotopes, and elements that are normally associated with mining and smelting, e.g. Cu, Zn, Au, Ag, etc) approach at the Holocene scale the imprint of past anthropogenic activities.
2. Provide long and detailed chemical and isotopic stratigraphies of elements related to such millennia-long anthropogenic activities.
3. Assess the extent to which the postulated archaeological assumptions and temporal and spatial reconstructions of metal mining proposed by this field of research are comparable. Assess lead and lags.
4. Provide clear constraints on the interplay between anthropogenic activities, natural climate change and their reflection in peatbog and speleothem data.
For further details and how to apply please visit: http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=53586
Enquiries regarding this studentship should be made to Vasile Ersek: vasile.ersek@northumbria.ac.uk
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The deadline for both applications is 7th April 2014 and the start date is October 1st 2014. The studentships includes a full stipend, paid for three years at RCUK rates (in 2014/15 this is £13,863 pa) and Home/EU fees. Overseas candidates are also eligible to apply. Please pass this message on to any excellent students who you know are seeking PhD opportunities.
Members of the Cold and Palaeoenvironments Research Group (http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/academic/ee/work/research/geography/cold_environments/) use a diverse approach to address key issues in earth systems science. They include:
Dr Ben Brock, Reader (Remote Sensing of Snow and Ice) benjamin.brock@northumbria.ac.uk
Dr Stuart Dunning, Senior Lecturer (Mountains and Landslides) stuart.dunning@northumbria.ac.uk
Dr Vasile Ersek, Senior Lecturer (Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironment) vasile.ersek@northumbria.ac.uk
Dr Emma Hocking, Lecturer (Palaeoenvironment and Sea Level Change)
Dr Paul Mann, Anniversary Research Fellow (Fluvial and Permafrost Processes) paul.mann@northumbria.ac.uk
Dr Nick Rutter, Senior Lecturer (Snow Hydrology) nick.rutter@northumbria.ac.uk
Dr Ulrich Salzmann, Reader (Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology and Biogeography) ulrich.salzmann@northumbria.ac.uk
Dr Leanne Wake, Anniversary Research Fellow (Sea Level Change) leanne.wake@northumbria.ac.uk
Professor John Woodward (Glaciers and Cryospheric Processes) john.woodward@northumbria.ac.uk
