PhD position. Environmental seismology of river floods in three continents: identifying, understanding and quantifying the effect of bed roughness on seismic monitoring of bedload flux and turbulence.
The Doctoral Network “Studying the Earth's surface with seismic methods” (EnvSeis) is funded by the European Commission's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Bringing together 10 leading research groups from 7 countries, EnvSeis supports 12 early-stage researchers in the emerging field of environmental seismology, in which seismic methods are used to study processes at or near the Earth's surface, such as landsliding, river sediment transport, debris flows, and glacial and marine processes. Projects in the network are connected by the common methodology and joint training and networking activities. More information can be found on the project website www. envseis.eu.
We invite you to apply for several ESR positions of your interest and in that case, indicate it in your application with the order of preference. Applicability follows the mobility rules of the European Commission's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks. Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date. In addition, an extended secondment (at least 6 months) abroad is required.
Candidates to ESR positions shall at the date of recruitment, be in the first four years of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree. Within this European Project, the Ben Gurion University of the Negev opens a doctoral position for the individual project ESR03:
Environmental seismology of river floods in three continents: identifying, understanding and quantifying the effect of bed roughness on seismic monitoring of bedload flux and turbulence
Description: Bedload transport is of major concern as it is the main fluvial process denuding landforms, as well as determining the shape and the stability of rivers. Hence, its importance is foremost in fluvial geomorphology, geodynamics, hydraulic engineering and related fields. Back in 1993 Govi et al. https: // doi.org/10.1080/02626669309492650 first indicated that bedload flux can be identified by seismic means. Several publications have further identified the seismic response due to bedload (https: // doi.org/10.1029/2011GL050255; and due to turbulence https: // doi.org/10.1002/2014JF003201). However, the separate effects of turbulence and of bedload flux are complex (Roth et al., 2017 https: // doi.org/10.1002/2016JF004062). Deciphering the effect of bed roughness is expected to allow seismic identification of the resultant turbulent fluctuations and separately of bedload dynamics. To this end use will be made of unique continuous and automatic bedload monitoring devices (Reid samplers – Halfi et al., 2020 https: // doi:org/10.1002/esp.4988) operating in tandem with seismic monitoring at 7 sites of successively rougher channel beds: The Arroyo de los Pinos (New Mexico, USA) with equal portions of sand, granules and coarser gravel; the Nahal Eshtemoa (Israel) with a 30 yr bedload record and ca 10% sand with long granule 'flats'; the Urslau and Vent alpine channels (Austria) with coarse gravel; the Ashi-Arai-Dani and the larger Joganzi Rivers (Japan) with gravelly beds containing boulders; and the Baiyang River (Taiwan), a bouldery-gravel bedrock canyon using acoustic sensing instead of physical sampling. A 40 Hz electromagnetic current meter will be contemporaneously deployed at several of these sites to monitor turbulent fluctuations, as has been achieved at two field sites and in a large flume. Seismic monitoring began several years ago in the US, Israel and Taiwan, with seismic devices about to be deployed in the Austrian and Japanese sites. Although the PhD student will visit all or most sites, spending some time to become first-hand acquainted with them, field efforts will be minor relative to data analysis, as most fieldwork will be undertaken by others, with whom interaction will be key. This study is expected to make a breakthrough in our understanding of and deciphering the seismic monitoring of bedload across many fluvial landscapes of varying roughness.
Host: Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, with part of the time at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research - WSL.
PI : Jonathan B. Laronne (BGU) Co-PI : Fabian Walter (WSL)
Collaborators :
seismology: Susan Bilek (NMT, USA); Masumi Yamada (Kyoto Univ. Japan)
geomorphology-hydrology: Dan Cadol (NMT, USA); Sushuke Miyata (Kyoto Univ., Japan); Daizo Tsutsumi (Mie Univ., Japan); Helmut Habersack and Rolf Rindler (BOKU, Austria); Jens Turowski (GFZ, Germany
Cooperation with each of the research groups will be achieved by academic support, data sharing and analysis as well as travel to all or most sites.
BenefitsThe successful candidates will receive an attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for Early Stage Researchers. The exact (net) salary will be confirmed upon appointment and is dependent on local tax regulations and on the country correction factor (to allow for the difference in cost of living in different EU Member States). The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance and a family allowance (depending on family status). The guaranteed PhD funding is for 36 months (i.e., EC funding; additional funding is possible, depending on the local hiring institution, and in accordance with the regular PhD time in the hosting country).
Eligibility criteriaConditions of international mobility of researchers: Applicability follows the mobility rules of the European Commission's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks. Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date (short stays such as holidays are not taken into account). Candidates to ESR positions shall at the date of recruitment, be in the first four years of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree.
English language: Network fellows (ESRs) must demonstrate that their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training
Selection processDeadline for applications is 10.01.2023.
Candidates apply by completing the required form and sending the required documents specified in the form. The candidates applying for more ESR positions in EnvSeis must list their order of preference in the form.
Application form and inquiries should be sent to: [email protected] and [email protected].
Required Research ExperiencesGeosciences › Hydrology
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Offer RequirementsGeosciences: Master Degree or equivalent
Engineering: Master Degree or equivalent
Environmental science: Master Degree or equivalent
ENGLISH: Good
Skills/QualificationsGeoscience/Geography: Master Degree or equivalent
or
Civil/Environmental Engineering: Master Degree or equivalent
Specific RequirementsGood level of English is a must.
Skills in programming (python, matlab, C) and signal processing as well as experience in field work are advantageous.
Contact Information