Glacier-to-foreland hydrological coupling at a maritime glacier, Iceland

School of the Environment - PhD Studentship British Geological Survey (NERC)

The School of the Environment, University of Dundee invites applications from prospective PhD students for a 3.5-yr fully funded BGS-NERC/Dundee studentship to commence in Autumn 2012.

Supervisors

Dr Jez Everest and Dr Alan MacDonald (British Geological Survey)
Dr Martin Kirkbride and Dr Andrew Black (University of Dundee, School of the Environment)

The project will also benefit from additional scientific input from Dr Tom Bradwell (BGS) and from logistical and scientific support from the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Project summary

The research will analyse the mass balance response, both glaciological and hydrological, of a coupled glacier-foreland system, and will create the capability to model and predict natural variability under changing climatic regimes.

The student will be based at the School of the Environment in Dundee, and will also be expected to spend some time at BGS in Edinburgh. Fieldwork will be based at the BGS Virkisjökull Observatory in southeast Iceland, a multi-technique monitoring facility established in 2009. The PhD seeks to build on and add scientific value to many of the continuously-acquired datasets at the site, examples illustrated in the attached PDF.

More details concerning the location, equipment and ongoing research at the Virkisjökull Observatory can be found here: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/glaciermonitoring/home.html

Aims

The main objective will be achieved by addressing two specific aims as foci for field research and modelling.

Glaciological: to quantify the contribution of glacial meltwater to the discharge of the outwash river at nested timescales from synoptic weather events, to seasonal melt cycles.

Hydrological: to understand the synoptic to seasonal scale relationships between river discharge into the fan head, and groundwater recharge and drawdown.

Funding and training

This studentship includes fees and the standard maintenance grant for 3.5 years, currently circa £13,590 pa, plus a research training and fieldwork support grant, of around £1000 pa.

Fieldwork will be scheduled in campaigns over the first two years of the project in conjunction with equipment installation schedules and other planned activities of the 10-strong project team.

The PhD training programme will seek to equip the successful applicant with both specific and complementary skills. Specialist training will be provided in: Glaciological/ hydrological field techniques; Hydrogeology; Upland Quaternary Field Mapping; Polar 1st Aid; Winter Mountain Skills; and 4x4 Driving. Complementary training will be provided in: Scientific and Technical Writing; Academic Writing; Excel and Access.

Entry Requirements

The successful candidate should hold a good Honours degree in an 'Earth' or 'Environmental Science' discipline. An MSc in a field-based or quantitative Earth Science discipline, e.g. hydrogeology, would be advantageous.

NERC-Dundee studentships are open to UK residents on a +3, full-time basis only http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/application/studentships/

How to apply

Applications should be made via UKPASS, quoting ref: BGS-NERC-2012 .

Please make sure that you include the following additional documents in your UKPASS application for the PhD studentship:

A full CV
Under "Personal Statement" you should provide a 500-word summary of your reasons for applying for this research project and how you think your skills and knowledge equip you for it
Two references, at least one of which should be an academic reference

Access UKPASS via the PhD in Geography link on the webpage below:

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/interests/geography.htm