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A 3-year PhD position in Arctic palaeoceanography/palaeoclimatology is available at Uni Climate, within the Norwegian Research Council project Pliocene East Greenland Current and Sea Ice Evolution (PEGSIE).
Uni Climate is a department of Uni Research AS and a partner in the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (BCCR), together with the University of Bergen, the Institute of Marine Research and the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center.
Project description
Predictions show that the Arctic Ocean could be sea ice free in the summer season by the year 2050. This sea ice reduction will change the ice-albedo feedback and increase polar amplification, which has the potential to cause major melting of the Greenland ice sheet and bring irreversible change to the polar climate. PEGSIE is an international, multidisciplinary effort that will employ a biomarker sea ice proxy and palynology to extract three ten- to hundred-thousand year records that document sea ice extent in the Nordic Seas and the evolution of the East Greenland Current during the Pliocene. This offers the opportunity to investigate sea ice extent at different times in the globally warm Pliocene and to better understand the link between reduced sea ice, polar amplification and the Greenland ice sheet.
The generated data will be integrated with climate model experiments that are targeted to reveal the mechanisms behind the evolution of the East Greenland current and sea ice extent during the Pliocene, and their influence on the Greenland ice sheet.
Requirements
We are seeking a highly motivated candidate interested in Arctic palaeoclimate, organic geochemistry, and marine palynology. The PhD candidate will conduct geochemical experiments to measure sea ice (IP25) and phytoplankton (brassicasterol, dinosterol) biomarkers in Pliocene sediments from the Nordic Seas. In combination with palynological studies, the generated data will be used to reconstruct the Pliocene East Greenland Current evolution and palaeo-sea ice extent of the Nordic Seas.
The candidate must hold a master’s degree or equivalent in marine geology, organic geochemistry, chemistry, palaeoceanography or related fields. Experience in using analytical techniques (GC, GC/MS, etc.) and/or marine palynology will be advantageous. Good communication skills in both written and spoken English and a desire to engage in international collaborative research is essential. Applicants have to be capable of independently executing research and willing to spend three months per year at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany, to work in the Arctic Marine Geology group of Prof. Dr. Ruediger Stein, who will be a co-supervisor of this PhD project.
The applicant must have achieved a master’s degree or equivalent or have submitted their master thesis for assessment by the application deadline. It is a prerequisite that the formal admission requirements of the PhD programme are met before an appointment can be made.
Salary is in accordance with the Civil Service pay grade table scale for PhD students.
Uni Research AS offers Group Pension Insurance and Personnel Insurance Scheme for their employees. The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time.
Further information
For further information, contact Dr Stijn De Schepper via phone +47 55583576 or email stijn.deschepper@geo.uib.no.
For more information about Uni Climate, Uni Research AS and BCCR, please refer to http://uni.no and http://www.bjerknes.uib.no.
Additional information
Earliest starting date: 1 April 2014.
The successful applicant will be part of the doctoral program at The University of Bergen, which includes course work.
Application
Send electronic application by clicking on the button marked “APPLY FOR THIS JOB” on this page: http://www.jobbnorge.no/job.aspx?jobid=97616
Applications must include a CV, certified copies of diplomas and certificates, a personal letter describing yourself and outlining your experience relevant for the project (max. 2 pages) and a summary of your MSc thesis (1 page). Please also provide contact details for at least two referees.
Application deadline: 30 November 2013
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