The Faculty of Geosciences offers education and research concerning the geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and anthroposphere. With a population of 2,200 students (BSc and MSc) and 575 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty is organised in four Departments: Innovation and Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, and Human Geography and Urban and Regional Planning.

The Departments of Environmental Sciences and Physical Geography are currently looking for:

The PhD researcher will carry out research for the project, granted by the Utrecht University: 'Anthropogenic land-use change triggers climate-vegetation shifts during Roman Classical Period'.

The two-way linkages between climate and vegetation exist via large-scale positive vegetation-precipitation feedbacks through modification of surface albedo and evapotranspiration flux by climate-induced vegetation change. Land-use change can be a trigger to a new climate-vegetation equilibrium. One of the most significant anthropogenic land-use changes in Europe and Northern Africa was the large scale deforestation during the Roman Classical Period (RCP). For Europe and Northern Africa a clear climate shift is observed for this period. Next to these climate-vegetation feedbacks that can lead to shifts in climate, external forcings like volcanic eruptions or solar variations play an important role in climate variations. In this project we aim to model the shifts in climate and vegetation and investigate whether anthropogenic land-use change in combination with external forcings (solar, volcanic and orbital) have moved the European climate to another climate-vegetation equilibrium after the RCP. Output of these global climate-vegetation model simulations will be used to run the global hydrological model to understand the changes in hydrology, runoff, erosion and floods which are well documented in a variety of proxies.

An Earth System Model of Intermediate Complexity will be used in transient modeling experiments to test a variety of hypothesis which can explain the climate shift during the roman classical period. Time series of vegetation patterns, land-use changes and sea surface temperature patterns will be used as input. Hydrological validation will be done by a number of local proxy records from the Mediterranean. For this we use a more detailed runoff model at higher temporal and spatial resolution to produce runoff generation within the year and to apportion runoff to the correct river basin. The project will lead to a PhD dissertation.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate holds a M.Sc. (or equivalent) degree in a relevant field (e.g. earth sciences, environmental sciences, biology, meteorology) with experience in modeling.

Terms of employment

We offer a fulltime PhD position (0,8 fte is an option) with an initial 12 month contract. After a positive evaluation this contract can be extended to a maximum of 36 more months (a total of four years maximum) and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period. The salary for a full time appointment starts at € 2,042.- and increases to € 2,612.- gross per month in the fourth year of the appointment.

The PhD student will be involved in the teaching program of the faculty to a maximum of 0,1 fte.

Conditions are based on the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities. The salary will be supplemented by a holiday allowance of 8% per year and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.

Further details

Are you interested? You can obtain further details from Dr. Stefan C. Dekker, email: s.dekker@geo.uu.nl or Prof. Dr. Marc Bierkens: tel (030) 253 2777. You may also visit the faculty's website at: www.geo.uu.nl.

How to apply

Please send your written application consisting of a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae and addresses of two referees to: Faculty of Geosciences, Personnel Department, P.O. Box 80.115, 3508 TC Utrecht, the Netherlands or submitted by e-mail to: PenO@geo.uu.nl.

Please mention vacancy number 72146.

Application deadline August 10, 2009.