Dear Colleagues,
We are seeking candidates for a PhD position in palaeo-ice stream sedimentology of the Anvers trough (Western Antarctic Peninsula). The project is part of an ongoing collaboration between the National Oceanography Centre and the British Antarctic Survey. More information can be found below or at:
http://noc.ac.uk/gsnocs/project/spatial-temporal-variations-grounding-line-proximal-sedimentation-anvers-palaeo-ice-s
Kind regards,
Matthieu Cartigny
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Matthieu Cartigny
Marine Geosciences
National Oceanography Centre
Waterfront Campus University of Southampton
European Way
Southampton SO14 3ZH
United kingdom
phone: +442380 596560
email: m.cartigny@noc.ac.uk
Project information:
Spatial and temporal variations in grounding-line proximal sedimentation in the Anvers palaeo-ice stream trough, western Antarctic Peninsula
Supervisors:
Matthieu Cartigny (NOC), C.-D. Hillenbrand (BAS), J.A. Smith (BAS), Peter Talling (NOC), K.A. Hogan (BAS), R.D. Larter (BAS), Esther Sumner (UoS).
Rationale:
Reconstructions of the response of ice sheets in West Antarctica to warming following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are based on the sedimentary record deposited on the continental shelf during grounding-line retreat and provided valuable insights into the future behaviour of the ice sheets in response to atmospheric and oceanographic warming, and associated sea-level rise. However, the distinction between (i) subglacial till and glacimarine sediments deposited proximal to grounded ice, and (ii) sediments deposited under ice shelves and permanent/seasonal sea-ice coverage remains difficult. Such a distinction is crucial, however, for reconstructing the timing and speed of grounding-line retreat, identifying past ice-shelf collapses and dating the onset of open-marine conditions. The complexity in sedimentary facies reflects a strong variability in both the processes affecting ice-sheet proximal deposition as a result of different types of grounding-line behaviour and the nature of the ice coverage. This PhD project will investigate different types of transitional facies recovered from Anvers Trough, a palaeo-ice stream trough on the western Antarctic Peninsula shelf, and reconstruct the spatial and temporal variations in grounding-line proximal sedimentation by improving and refining the distinction between (a) subglacial and glacimarine facies, and (b) seasonal open-marine and sub-ice shelf facies.
Methodology:
The project will utilise a suite of gravity cores, which were collected from a range of depositional environments on transects along and across the Anvers palaeo-ice stream trough during BAS cruise JR284 with RRS "James Clark Ross" in 2014. To gain more insight into the spatial and temporal variation of grounding-line proximal sedimentation the successful candidate will perform detailed sedimentological analyses (visual core description; inspection of X-radiographs; measurements of detailed grain-size composition, geochemical parameters and physical properties; micropalaeontological investigations). This information will be supplemented by available multibeam swath bathymetry and acoustic sub-bottom profiler (TOPAS) data to set the core data into context with a variety of subglacial and grounding-line proximal glacimarine bedforms (e.g., mega-scale glacial lineations, grounding zone wedges) that are linked to different types of grounding-line behaviour at various locations in Anvers Trough.
Training:
All doctoral candidates will enrol in the Graduate School of NOCS (GSNOCS), where they will receive specialist training in oral and written presentation skills, have the opportunity to participate in teaching activities, and have access to a full range of research and generic training opportunities. GSNOCS attracts students from all over the world and from all science and engineering backgrounds. There are currently around 200 full- and part-time PhD students enrolled (~60% UK and 40% EU & overseas).
The studentship is eligible for inclusion within the NERC SPITFIRE Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). The SPITFIRE DTP programme provides comprehensive personal and professional development training alongside extensive opportunities for students to expand their multi-disciplinary outlook through interactions with a wide network of academic, research and industrial/policy partners. The student will be registered within the Graduate School of NOCS (GSNOCS). All students will receive specialist training in oral and written presentation skills, have the opportunity to participate in teaching activities, and have access to a full range of research and generic training opportunities. The successful candidate will be trained in all analytical techniques required for the sedimentological work on the gravity cores (see 'Methodology') and the interpretation of relevant geophysical data (multibeam swath bathymetry data, TOPAS acoustic sub-bottom profiles). It is envisaged that the successful candidate will participate in one sea-going expedition, preferably to the polar regions.
Wider Implications:
Reliable identification of sedimentary facies characteristic for subglacial, sub-ice shelf and sub-sea ice environments within palaeo-ice-stream troughs will help to select the most suitable sediment horizon in a core for dating the retreat of the grounding line and the calving line, respectively, from a particular core location. The project results will improve our understanding of (a) the link between depositional processes and resulting sedimentary facies, and (b) the spatial and temporal variation of grounding-line dynamics that are critical in reconstructing ice-sheet retreat. This knowledge will not only enhance the chronological accuracy of existing and future reconstructions of ice-sheet retreat since the Last Glacial Maximum but also help to evaluate the reliability of ice-sheet models. Improvement of such numerical models will enhance the accuracy of predictions of global sea-level rise in response to future ice-sheet melting in the polar regions.
Eligibility & Funding Details:
This SPITFIRE project is available to students who meet the RCUK eligibility criteria only.
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