Organisation/Company: Swansea University
Department: Central Research
Field: Geography » Other
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: PhD Positions
Country: United Kingdom
Application Deadline: 13 Jan 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/London)
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 35
Offer Starting Date: 1 Oct 2025
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
The main contribution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) to sea level rise comes from the flow of inland ice out to sea, a process that is controlled by the presence of floating ice shelves around the AIS. Ice loss from ice shelf calving has been shown to account for roughly half of AIS mass loss (Greene et al., 2022). Ice shelves typically follow a period of slow advance for several decades before undergoing more rapid ice shelf calving events that reduce their extent. In addition to this natural variance, the ice-shelf extent is becoming increasingly impacted by a heating climate driving melting. As such, an understanding of the range and variance of their extent and their effect on inland ice flow is of great importance when determining the future contribution to sea level rise of the AIS (Miles et al., 2022). In particular, how much of the observed trend is due to the natural calving cycle, and how much is a result of increased Antarctic warming? VARIANCE seeks to address this by first compiling a data set of the Antarctic calving front position over time to derive an understanding of its range and variability, and how the present-day calving front extent compares to the observational record. These observations will then be used with the numerical ice model, Úa, to simulate the relative impact of the variance in calving front extent on inland ice speed, and hence sea level rise, for the AIS. This modelling setup is similar to that used by Jordan et al., 2023. The student will be primarily based at Swansea University, working closely with Dr Jordan and Professor Luckman as part of the Swansea Glaciology Research Group. There will be the opportunity to spend time at Edinburgh University and work more closely with Dr Miles. This project would be suitable for candidates with a first degree in a related environmental or physical science as well as mathematics or physics. Basic programming skills in languages such as Python, Matlab or R are desirable, but not essential for consideration. This project will provide the candidate with training in numerical modelling and remote sensing, both sought-after transferable skills, setting them up for a career in academia or industry.
References
Greene, C.A., Gardner, A.S., Schlegel, NJ. et al. Antarctic calving loss rivals ice-shelf thinning. Nature 609, 948–953 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05037-w
Jordan, J.R., Miles, B.W.J., Gudmundsson, G.H. et al. Increased warm water intrusions could cause a mass loss in East Antarctica during the next 200 years. Nat Commun 14, 1825 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37553-2
Miles, B.W.J., Stokes, C.R., Jamieson, S.S.R. et al. High spatial and temporal variability in Antarctic ice discharge linked to ice shelf buttressing and bed geometry. Sci Rep 12, 10968 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13517-2
This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend of £19,237. Additional research expenses of up to £1,000 a year will also be available.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must hold a UK Bachelor degree with a minimum of Upper Second Class honours in geography or a related field, or an overseas Bachelor degree deemed equivalent to UK Bachelor (by UK ECCTIS) and achieved a grade equivalent to UK Upper Second Class honours in geography or a related field.
Please see our website for more information.
#J-18808-Ljbffr