Dear Cryolisters,
As part of a funded project through Global Water Futures, there is support for a total of three positions at the University of Waterloo (UW) and Wilfred Laurier University (WLU) in Waterloo Canada. We are seeking motivated individuals interested in the remote sensing of freshwater lake ice using new and existing satellite sensors. The main focus of this research is to assess the capabilities of microwave products to monitor ice characteristics through multiple methods, including in-situ observation and cloud computing.
Students interested should have a strong background and experience in one or a combination of Geography, Physics, Earth Science, and Geomatics. Strengths in programming, writing, statistical analysis, and the ability to work both independently and in a team are essential. Experience in the field will be an asset (but not required), and programming experience in either Python, Javascript, IDL or MATLAB is desirable.
Funding is available for two PhD's students in the Joint Waterloo-Laurier Graduate Program in Geography and one Masters student in Systems Design Engineering at UW:
PhD Position #1: This work aims to confirm microwave scattering mechanisms in ice using historical and current sensors at multiple scales (ground-based to satellite), building the hypothesis for ice property retrieval using state of the art sensors: The basis for the direct retrieval of ice properties (including phenology and thickness) hinges on accurate understanding of how the measurement of interest (e.g. microwave backscatter) interacts with the ice medium. This student will focus on the derivation of novel methods to decompose the returned signal of fully polarimetric acquisitions to observe the dominant source of target interaction and explore the application of interferometric principles to repeat-pass acquisitions to retrieve ice properties.
PhD Position #2: Development of ice thickness modeling (CLIMo-Grid) for verification of spatial details of ice phenology and thickness. This work focuses on enhancing a gridded thermodynamic lake ice model forced using an optimal combination of satellite and downscaled ERA5 ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) reanalysis data to generate ice phenology and thickness. The model will be run for verification of spatial details of lake ice phenology and lake ice thickness.
MSc Position: The student will contribute to the development and evaluation of multiple methods to retrieve the timing of lake freeze- and melt-onset dates for lakes of various sizes. Retrieval algorithms will be applied publicly available SAR repositories within the Google Earth Engine platform for regions in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, supplemented by land surface temperature satellite observations. It is encouraged that students interested in applying for this position have a strong background in programming and code development (Python, Javascript).
The University of Waterloo regards diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to employment equity and accessibility. As such, we encourage applications from women, Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) peoples, persons with disabilities, members of diverse gender identities, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. At Waterloo, you will have the opportunity to be a part of an international community of scholars and a diverse student body, situated in a rapidly growing community that has been termed a "hub of innovation".
This work will be supervised by Dr. Grant Gunn (UW), Dr. Andrea Scott (UW), and Dr. Homa Kheyrollah-Pour (WLU). The successful applicants and may have the opportunity to travel to Northwest Territories for field work or workshops.
If this opportunity interests you, please submit your application electronically as a single pdf file to Dr. Grant Gunn (g2gunn@uwaterloo.ca); include "GWF_Position#_yourname" in the subject line. Your application should contain:
• CV
• A cover letter stating your motivation for applying to this position & your research interests
• Copy of transcript(s) (unofficial are acceptable)
• Contact information for 2 references
The positions will remain open until filled. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the positions above, please contact Grant Gunn (g2gunn@uwaterloo.ca). We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.
The University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University are situated on the Haldimand Tract, land that was promised to the Haudenosaunee of the Six Nations of the Grand River, and are within the territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples.
Grant Gunn
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography and Environmental Management
University of Waterloo
