Two PhD student positions in Earth Sciences School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland

Applications are invited for two PhD student positions in Geophysics as part of the ISVOLC project, investigating the effects of climate change-induced ice retreat on seismic and volcanic activity. The project is funded by the Icelandic Research Fund and led by the Icelandic Meteorological Office in collaboration with the University of Iceland.

About the role

Within ISVOLC, an international team of scientists will research glacier evolution, glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA), and their effects on the Earth's crust, focusing on four volcanic systems (Katla, Askja, Grímsvötn, and Bárðarbunga) and two seismic transform zones (the South Iceland Seismic Zone and the Tjörnes Fracture Zone). The project will use new models of glacier variations in Iceland since ~1890 and scenarios for continued glacial retreat to estimate influences on crustal movements, melt production, and magma accumulation. Current uplift due to GIA exceeds 20 mm/yr near Vatnajökull ice cap, impacting all of Iceland. The project aims to improve understanding of natural hazards by evaluating these processes in target areas.

PhD Position 1: Glacier evolution and glacial isostatic adjustment in Iceland

• Create a unified database of Icelandic glacier volume changes since the end of the Little Ice Age at high spatial and temporal resolution, potentially extending the record to hundreds or thousands of years using in situ and remote sensing methods, climate models, and ice-flow models.
• Develop a three-dimensional, time-dependent GIA model for Iceland, incorporating a realistic lithospheric/mantle structure.
• Combine ice loading history and GIA models to improve understanding of the large-scale effects of variable ice loading.
• Apply ice-flow models (e.g., PISM) and climate models (regional and global) to reconstruct ice loading history, alongside GIA models using COMSOL software.

PhD Position 2: Realistic volcano deformation models taking glacial isostatic adjustment into consideration

• Develop advanced 3D Finite Element models of magma plumbing beneath key volcanoes, considering magma bodies, magma mush, and episodic melt supply rates.
• Combine GIA model predictions with magma plumbing models to produce 3D models describing effects from both deglaciation and magma influx.
• Determine the effect of recent glacier changes on magma generation, supply, and stability of magma bodies beneath volcanoes.
• Assess the effect of recent glacier mass changes on seismic triggering of faults within two major fault zones in Iceland.
• Incorporate InSAR and/or GNSS processing and geodetic modelling using analytical and numerical (COMSOL) approaches.

Work Environment

Both PhD students will be based at the Institute of Earth Sciences, an independent part of the Science Institute at the University of Iceland, and will collaborate closely with the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The Institute of Earth Sciences is the center of academic research in Earth sciences in Iceland, providing facilities for academic staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. The Icelandic Meteorological Office monitors and researches natural hazards, advising the Icelandic Civil Defence and serving as the state volcano observatory.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Geophysics, Geology, Physics, or a related field, or completion of all essential work for a Master’s degree at the time of employment.
• Proficiency in English (verbal and written).
• Dedication and enthusiasm for scientific research and knowledge creation.
• Reliability, initiative, and competence to work independently.
• Ability and interest in working within an interdisciplinary and international research team.
• Previous experience related to the planned research is advantageous.
• Good knowledge of physics, numerical models, and programming skills is important for Position 1.

Starting date: No later than 1 September 2023.

For further information, contact: Freysteinn Sigmundsson, Guðfinna Th Aðalgeirsdóttir, Halldór Geirsson, or Michelle Parks.