Deadline for applications: 28th February 2014.
For further details contact Sara Benetti (s.benetti@ulster.ac.uk )
Coastal wetlands: are our valuable carbon sinks vulnerable?
Saline coastal wetlands in southeastern Australia are located within the intertidal zone of estuaries and are particularly vulnerable to decline in quality and extent with changing water levels. These wetlands provide many ecosystem services including coastal protection and carbon sequestration. Hence, coastal wetlands both mitigate climate change and promote adaptation to climate change. A recently awarded ARC Future Fellowship has provided an opportunity for two PhD candidates to be part of a team of researchers at the University of Wollongong, led by Dr Kerrylee Rogers to explore the vulnerability of coastal wetland carbon sinks. The proposed project will use isotopic tracers to quantify carbon retention and flux, sedimentation and surface elevation change within coastal wetlands in southeastern Australia.
The research will integrate field work and laboratory analyses with geospatial analyses. Candidates with a background in coastal and estuarine processes, isotopic dating, stable isotope analysis, statistics or geographic information systems are sought.
The PhD scholarships are available in the School of Earth and Environmental Science and are associated with ARC Future Fellowship FT130100532. The 2014 full-time stipend rate is $25 392 pa tax exempt for 3.5 years.
Interested applicants should initially send a cover letter and CV to Dr Kerrylee Rogers (Kerrylee@uow.edu.au). Applicants will also need to complete a candidature/scholarship application form and arrange two academic referee reports to be submitted to the Student research centre by 12 March 2014. Refer to: http://www.uow.edu.au/future/postgrad/apply/research/index.html
Source to sink and vertical movements of the Mozambique Channel: Morondava Basin (Madagascar)
Within the framework of the PAssive Margin Exploration LAboratory (PAMELA), and the study of the Mozambique Chanel (Morondava Basin, Madagscar), the aim is to understand the evolution of a continental margin using an integrated source-to sink approach.
Three main research objectives are: (1) the identification of the preserved geomorphologies and structural features of a rifted pull-apart basin, (2) the quantification of the vertical movements from rift to the drift sequence and the Neogene reactivation in relation with the East Africa Neogene rifting, and finally (3) the identification of the isotopic signature of the sediment to trace their sources. This approach will be discussed with the evolution of the conjugated margin (Tanzania-Somalia) to build a genetic model for the evolution of rift and the erosion of its margins.
Candidates should have a master degree or equivalent in geosciences. Basin analysis skills are highly recommended. Field work and research oceanographic cruise experience is an advantage. The candidate should be literate in subsurface interpretation and GIS. Laboratory experience in analytical isotopic geochemistry is an advantage, otherwise training will be provided. Works will include participation to an oceanographic cruise in the fall 2014 and a field campaign in early 2015. The student will be registered at the Université Rennes 1 and the position will imply mobility during the 3 years between Rennes, Toulouse and Pau.
Financial support is granted within the frame of the PAMELA project (IFREMER – TOTAL).
To apply for this position please send your cv and a cover letter to Dr Cécile ROBIN (cecile.robin@univ-rennes1.fr) and Dr Gérôme CALVES (gerome.calves@get.obsmip.fr).
The position will remain open until a suitable candidate has been found.
