Research Center of Excellence in Catchment HydrologyPhD scholarship in Measurement and scaling of soil moistureProject outline Background: Soil moisture exerts a critical control on many processes including evapotranspiration and recharge and is thus essential for the water balance. We are still confronted with a mismatch between the point measurements using traditional probes on one side and the scale at which remote sensing estimates are provided and the scale of numerical models on the other. Recent developments in a non-invasive measurement technique based on cosmic-rays offer new opportunities in bridging the gap between the scales. The technique is based on the principle that when cosmic rays enter the atmosphere they collide with atmospheric nuclei and produce neutrons that can penetrate the atmosphere and further penetrate into the subsurface. The neutrons will get their energies reduces when they collide with hydrogen atoms and the presence of hydrogen in the subsurface is mostly controlled by the presence of water. Thus, the flux of low-energy neutrons above the soil surface is inversely correlated with the moisture content of the soil. By measuring the intensity of low-energy neutrons by a probe placed some distance above the soil surface, moisture content with a foot print diameter of about 600 m can ideally be determined. The measurement may be affected by various environmental factors such as atmospheric pressure and altitude and more research and testing is required to obtain more reliable measurements. Work content:
The successful candidate will be employed at the Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen, and enrolled the PhD school of Science, University of Copenhagen. The principal supervisor is Professor Karsten H. Jensen, University of Copenhagen (khj@geo.ku.dk). The research will be carried out in collaboration with Research Center Juelich, Germany, and Dr. Heye Bogena (h.bogena@fz-juelich.de) will act as co-supervisor. The successful candidate is expected to visit Research Center Juelich for shorter or longer time. Applicants are expected to possess a MSc degree in a relevant discipline such as geography, hydrogeology, hydrology or environmental engineering. The successful PhD candidate will be offered a full-time PhD position for a period of three years, contingent on a satisfactory performance, with the specific intent that it results in a PhD degree and scientific publications. It is a prerequisite for the appointment as a PhD-fellow, that the person concerned can be registered as a PhD-fellow according to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Executive Order no 18 of 14. January 2008. Information about the PhD programs at the Faculty of Science can be found at http://www.science.ku.dk/phd/. The salary depends on seniority, as agreed between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations within the range of 23,000-30,000 DKK/month (approximately 3,100-4,000 Euro/month). The scholarships are open to both Danish and international applicants. The applications will be evaluated by an evaluation committee appointed by the department. Selected applicants will be invited for interviews. The scholarship will be awarded according to the applicants´ background and qualifications. Further information may be obtained from the principal supervisor. Applications must be submitted by using the following link: Applications with insufficient documentation or applications that do not comply with the above requirements will not be considered. The deadline for receipt of applications is June 25, 2012. 
|
