The Antarctic research team at the University of Canterbury (UC) is pleased to announce the availability of two PhD student scholarships funded through New Zealand’s Marsden Fund. The overarching project, ‘Grounding zone estuaries: How can ocean stratification, baroclinicity, and tides beneath 500 m of Antarctic ice influence global sea level rise?’ builds on a new set of observational timeseries captured from beneath several hundred metres of ice at three sites within the Kamb Ice Stream Grounding Zone (GZ) of the Ross Ice Shelf. Combining the observational data with numerical modelling, theproject will identify the dominant processes in an Antarctic GZ and quantify their effec t on the initiation, variability, and fate of ocean-driven ice shelf melt.
A high-resolution version of MITgcm will be used to investigate the estuarine flow of the Kamb Ice Stream GZ as revealed in the direct observations. The GZ is physically-constrained by two horizontal boundaries (seafloor & ice shelf base) and fresh water input will be introduced either as basal melt or subglacial discharge. Interaction between barotropic tidal flows and the shape of the GZ cavity (i.e. water column thickness) will be explored through sensitivity experiments using topographic datasets (Bedmachine2, Bedmap2, and the future Bedmap3) and direct observations of ice shelf vertical movement. Additionally, we will investigate the generation and pathways of sub-glacial discharge within the GZ.
Supervisors
Supervisor: Alena Malyarenko
Key qualifications and skills
The ideal candidates will be highly motivated and research-driven with experience in ocean numerical modelling. The students will be working within a team of oceanographers who have experience in both modelling and observational analysis, creating the opportunity to develop skills further in either area. Candidates with ocean turbulence, numerical modelling, and/or Antarctic physical oceanography backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
We also would like to encourage candidates from historically underrepresented groups to apply and are happy to answer your questions about UC and our larger team. Please note that we would like to hear from you even if you don’t consider yourself an ideal candidate - ideal candidates do not exist (they’ve already got their PhDs).
Does the project come with funding
Yes - $ 35,000 p/a
Final date for receiving applications
Ongoing
