LOCATION: ROYAL NIOZ – YERSEKE (THE NETHERLANDS)
VACANCY ID: 2021-56
CLOSING DATE: October 31st , 2021.
THE PROJECT
The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is losing mass at an accelerated rate, notably so at its marine terminating glaciers, where the ice sheet meets the ocean. The project aims to study the interaction between Greenland’s marine-terminating glaciers and the fjord. Heat transport from the ocean to these glaciers has been identified as one of the critical processes for understanding future mass loss. Yet, despite the presence of warm water at the continental shelf, this heat does not necessarily easily reach the glacier fronts as fjords play a crucial role as gateway between the ocean and the ice sheet. In addition, the fjords modulate the exchange of freshwater emanating from the GrIS with the ocean.
Understanding the transformation of freshwater in the fjord is crucial in projecting the impact of the shrinking GrIS on the ocean and vice versa. In this project, a consortium of oceanographers and glaciologists aims to advance our understanding of the exchange of heat and freshwater in Greenland fjords.
The successful candidate will investigate the freshwater flux to the fjord and to what extent this freshwater is modified in the fjord. Additionally, the relative importance of the different heat sources in melting of the glaciers will be studied. The goal is to parametrize the exchange of heat and freshwater between the glacier and the fjord. The study will exploit an existing dataset of Nuup Kangerlua (Godthåbsfjord in SW Greenland), a large glacier-fjord system in southwest Greenland that has experienced significant glacier retreat in the last decade. The dataset consists of seasonal multiannual oceanographic data (conductivity, temperature, depth profiles and data from moored instruments) and glaciological data (glacier surface mass balance, runoff and remote sensing data). In addition, the candidate will participate in field campaigns in different regions in Greenland to collect new oceanographic data.
Applications should include a cover letter indicating your motivation and relevant research experience, a detailed curriculum vitae, academic transcripts, and the contact information of at least two references.
THE CANDIDATE
We are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate holding a master’s degree in Earth Sciences,  Oceanography, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Knowledge of mathematics, physical processes in the ocean and/or glaciers are an advantage, good skill in programming and data analysis is required. Furthermore, the optimal candidate must be interested in joining an interdisciplinary project. Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills. The candidate will have two supervisors. Due to the international character of our research, applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English. We highly encourage applicants from all members of our community and of diverse background, including LGBTIQ+ communities, to join us.
CONDITIONS
Employment of this position at Royal NIOZ in Yerseke is by NWO (The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research). We offer a position for a period of 1 year (fulltime). At the end of this first year, the employment will be extended for a fixed-term of a maximum of 4 years, if the first year evaluation held with the employee is positive. The salary is compliant to the CAO-OI (Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Research Institutes), a pension scheme, a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, a year-end bonus of 8,3%, flexible work arrangements and arrangements and 42 days of holiday leave (fulltime position).
You may expect attractive secondary employment conditions. We offer generous relocation expenses for employees coming from abroad and support with finding accommodation.
MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about this vacancy, please contact Lorenz Meire  or Willem Jan van de Berg . For additional information about the procedure, please contact Sigrid Moerbeek (senior HR advisor).
For more information about the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU) at Utrecht University see here; for more information about the Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems research at NIOZ, see here
For further information about the position, follow this link.