A fully-funded NERC PhD studentship is offered in open competition as part of the NERC Doctoral Training Partnership in Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment (ACCE)
Proglacial lake evolution and implications for ice dynamics and glacier melt rates
Supervisor: Dr David Rippin (Environment Department, University of York)
Co-supervisor: Dr Robert Bryant (Department of Geography, University of Sheffield)
Small Arctic glaciers are numerous, have responded rapidly to climate change, and have made a significant sea-level contribution in recent decades. Proglacial lakes have developed at the snouts of some of these retreating glaciers and in many cases appear to be growing, but may also respond more subtly to shorter-term variations in rates of ice melt. These lakes are of interest because their presence has implications for further ice melt and ice dynamics. Furthermore, in situations where such lakes might drain and dry out, residual deposited sediments may become airborne and impact local ice-albedo and subsequent melt. The aim of this project is therefore to explore this proglacial lake system in Arctic locations, and to investigate how it has evolved in recent years.
Initially, the project will use Earth Observation (EO) data to generate an inventory of ice-contact lakes. The initial focus will be in Arctic Sweden, but may extend elsewhere. EO techniques (developed by co-supervisor Bryant) will then be used to detect and quantify dynamic changes in lake area, volume and depth over seasonal, annual and decadal timescales. Once lakes that are growing, as well as any lakes that are shrinking, have been identified, the project's aim will become to characterize links/feedbacks within this systems, before considering the impacts of lake-size changes on ice dynamics.
The Studentship will be tenable for three and a half years in the first instance. Candidates must be an UK/EU resident to hold an NERC studentship, and EU students who have not been resident in the UK for the last three years before the start of their studentship are only eligible for a fees-only award.
To discuss your suitability for this project and further information please email: david.rippin@york.ac.uk (01904 324 703)
Further details on the application procedure are outlined at http://www.york.ac.uk/biology/postgraduate/nercdtp/ and the deadline for receipt of applications is Monday 20 January 2014.
Dr David M. Rippin
Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography
Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD
Tel: +44 (0)1904 324 703; Fax: +44 (0)1904 322 998; Email: david.rippin@york.ac.uk
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