Fully funded PhD position in paleoclimate reconstruction of arid zone hydroclimate

Fully funded PhD position in paleoclimate reconstruction of arid zone hydroclimate

Employer : Northumbria University

Location : Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom of Great Britain – England, Scotland, Wales

Sector : Climate : Past, Present & Future (CL)

Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Petrology & Volcanology (GMPV)

Type : Full time

Level : Student / Graduate / Internship

Preferred education : Master

Application Deadline : 20 February 2025

Posted on : 21 January 2025

About the project :

Our planet’s drylands are at the centre of an intriguing climate mystery. These regions, which cover nearly half of Earth’s land surface and support 2 billion people, are predicted to expand significantly as our planet warms. By 2030, Earth’s atmospheric CO2 levels and global temperatures will match those of the Pliocene epoch, approximately 3 million years ago. This makes the Pliocene a great window into Earth’s climate future. Yet, when scientists study Pliocene evidence, they find signs of a much wetter world than our models predict. This disconnect, between future projections and past evidence, represents a crucial gap in our understanding of Earth’s climate system.

The successful applicant will join a large and active research group using innovative techniques to investigate this ‘Dryland Hydroclimate Paradox.’ Your work will help resolve one of climate science’s most pressing questions : why do our best climate models disagree with evidence from Earth’s past, and what does this mean for the future of our planet’s drylands?

Research Approach :

In this project, you will study cave deposits (speleothems such as stalagmites and stalactites) to reconstruct ancient climates in Earth’s drylands. Cave deposits are unique climate time capsules. Unlike other terrestrial climate records, they can be dated with exceptional precision and preserve multiple indicators of past climate conditions. They’re also found in the regions we most need to understand – areas where people live today and will live in the future.

This research will address three fundamental questions :

• What triggers humid periods in subtropical drylands?
• How does dryland climate respond to changes in CO2 and temperature?
• How do rainfall patterns and moisture sources change during humid periods?

How to apply :

For full details and this opportunity please see the link below.

J-18808-Ljbffr