Stellenangebot / Job offer
PhD Position in the area of Coastal Carbon Fluxes
We are looking for a highly motivated student to join the Institute of Carbon Cycles in pursuit of a PhD in marine biogeochemistry. This student will build a project within an interdisciplinary research group aimed at refining our understanding of coastal and marine inorganic carbon cycling.
Here, two key topics identified as key constraints in our current understanding of global carbon cycling will be under investigation: the coupled physical-chemical drivers of air-sea CO2 exchange, and dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity (DIC and AT) sources and sinks in coastal and marine waters. These goals are supported by a well-equipped lab, with the former addressed using atmospheric Eddy Covariance (EC) coupled with autonomous pH and pCO2 instruments, and the latter addressed with lab-based precision inorganic chemical analyses. Considering the interdisciplinary nature of this research project, the successful PhD candidate will develop a broad understanding of the “plumbing” of the marine carbon cycle.
We invite applications for a PhD position (m/f/d) in the area of Coastal Carbon Fluxes at the Institute of Carbon Cycles with preferred starting date on 1 November 2024. The position is limited to three years.
Your tasks:
- Assist in the installation and maintenance of EC installations and associated autonomous instruments.
- Participate in the planning and execution of research cruises, including discrete sampling for DIC (and 13C-DIC), AT, and the Radium quartet.
Depending on the prior expertise and interest of the candidate, specific scientific goals related to the above tasks will include a selection from each point below:
- EC, selection from: 1) physical forcing of air-sea CO2 exchange, including the development of novel gas transfer parameterizations currently lacking for coastal waters, or 2) attribution of air-sea CO2 fluxes to biogeochemical processes, making use of automated in-situ pH and pCO2 instrumentation.
- AT/DIC: 1) internal cycling of AT and DIC in the North Sea, 2) long-term carbonate chemical trends, or 3) basin-scale exchanges as traced with the Radium isotope quartet.
- Synthesize results, prepare manuscripts and conference presentations.
Your profile:
Essential qualifications:
- MS in an appropriate field, i.e. Marine Science, Ecology, Oceanography, Chemistry
- Experience working with in-situ instruments and/or lab-based chemical analysis
- Proficiency in statistics and at least one commonly-used programming language (R, Matlab, Python, etc.)
- Excellent communication skills in English (spoken, written) and German (helpful but not necessary)
Desirable qualifications:
- Proven experience with ship-based campaigns and/or field expeditions
- Academic publication record
- German comprehension
- Drivers license
