PhD position in earth & planetary surface processes at MIT

Apply before: 1 December 2026. Position: PhD student in the Gaia Lab, MIT EAPS.

About the role

The Gaia Lab in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences is recruiting a PhD student to begin in Fall 2027. The student will work on how climate and erosion shape landscapes, with an emphasis on fluvial and lacustrine geomorphology.

Responsibilities

• Investigate how climate and erosion shape landscapes, focusing on fluvial and lacustrine geomorphology.
• Reconstruct past hydroclimate from river and lake topography.
• Quantify landscape evolution across temporal and spatial scales.
• Conduct fieldwork, remote sensing analysis, numerical modeling, or flume experiments.
• Work on projects set on Earth, Mars, or both.
• Develop research questions aligned with personal interests.

Requirements

• Background in geomorphology, geology, physical geography, planetary science, physics, engineering, mathematics, or a related field.
• Experience with programming and/or GIS is helpful but not required.

Skills

• Programming (helpful).
• GIS (helpful).