Supervisors: Professor Andrew Hodson (Sheffield) and Drs. Kelly Redecker and James Chong (York)
Recent research has revealed significant microbial biodiversity and activity by micro-organisms within snow and glacier ice. This project will therefore focus on the novel use of trace gases to track microbial activity upon a small mountain ice cap in Arctic Svalbard. In so doing, your project will reveal how microorganisms can regulate the global biogeochemical cycling of halogens, sulfur and trace metals in polar snow. In addition, the work will enhance our use of ice cores for understanding climate change, and greatly improve our understanding of how the ecology of polar snow influences atmospheric chemistry in the High Arctic.
The PhD will incorporate the latest technologies for trace gas sampling, microbial ecology, genomics and snow pack biogeochemical processes, requiring field campaigns in Svalbard in spring and summer. You will measure fluxes of water, nutrients, and low level trace gases in the snowpack and then track changing microbial population dynamics and in-situ metabolism in the laboratory using next generation sequencing, microscopy and biomarker (PLFA) analyses. Students will be closely co-supervised by supervisors from Sheffield and York, whilst external registration at the University Centre on Svalbard (UNIS) will be necessary for further training in Arctic fieldwork and for sample processing.
Further details here: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/geography/phd/applications
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Professor Andy Hodson,
Cold Regions Biogeochemist,
Department of Geography,
University of Sheffield.
S10 2TN,
UK
+44 114 2227950
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/geography/staff/hodson_andy/index
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