LEDIG STILLING VED UIT NORGES ARKTISKE UNIVERSITET
PhD Fellow in permafrost dynamics and passive seismic monitoring
Deadline: 01.05.2021
UiT is a multi-campus research university in Norway and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close-up perspective.
Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.
The main task of the Faculty of Science and Technology is to conduct research and teaching at high national and international level. Prioritized research areas include energy, climate, environment, maritime, marine, nano-, space-, and information technology; addressing both general topics and topics relevant for the High North.
Faculty of Science and Technology
The position
UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Science and Technology, has a PhD position vacant for applicants who wish to obtain the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) in Science. The topic is permafrost dynamics observed by passive seismic sensor arrays.
The position is affiliated to the Department of Geosciences, and it spins out of research activities that has been conducted at ARCEx (Research Centre for Arctic Petroleum Exploration). The department has research and teaching activities in marine geology and geophysics, solid earth science, and coastal and terrestrial geosciences. Department of Geosciences is host for one Centre of Excellence (CAGE – Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Climate and Environment), and one Petrocentre (ARCEx). The appointed PhD candidate will benefit from cooperation with cross-disciplinary groups at the Department of Geosciences and will take part in an established collaboration with NORSAR.
The workplace will be the Department of Geosciences at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position in Tromsø within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.
The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. This may include teaching (e.g. supervision and evaluation of student exercises) at various levels, as well as performance of other duties relevant for the department. UiT The Arctic University of Norway funds the position.
The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.
About the project and the research
The permafrost layer in the Arctic is sensitive to climate change. It is believed that the ongoing global warming contributes to the observed degradation in the permafrost structure. However, the physical mechanisms are poorly understood, quantitative models are scarce, and the associated data acquisition and analysis should be tailored to highlight spatiotemporal permafrost changes.
The primary focus of the project will be to analyze, interpret, and model time series from passive seismic arrays in the context of permafrost dynamics. Cryoseismic events (or frost quakes) caused by thermal stress and fracture in the active layer are natural random sources, and the PhD candidate is expected to participate in the development of new data analysis methods for such data. Ambient noise interferometry is an increasingly popular method for estimating physical properties and time-lapse monitoring of the propagation medium. We aim to integrate cryoseismic analysis and ambient noise interferometry with the purpose to improve the spatiotemporal characterization of permafrost dynamics.
The main objective of the project is to measure and quantify changing physical properties in the thawing ground from passive seismic data, and to identify these changes over the past three decades. Long timeseries will be acquired from NORSAR’s seismic arrays on Svalbard and Northern Norway, and dedicated temporary high-resolution arrays and fiber optic systems (DAS) will be utilized to increase the precision and calibrate the long-term analysis.
The successful candidate will be expected to spend periods in NORSAR’s offices at Kjeller, and to participate in field work at Svalbard.
Contact
Further information about the position is available by contacting:
The successful candidate will have an MSc or equivalent in geophysics, seismology, physics, signal processing, engineering geoscience, or applied mathematics. Experience with mathematical modelling and statistical data analysis is expected, and good programming skills are necessary to participate in this project.
Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must document completion of your degree before commencement in the position. You must still submit your transcripts for the master’s degree with your application.
The results will be presented at national and international conferences/workshops, as well as published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The candidate must therefore have a documented good command of English (both written and oral). Applicants not being able to communicate in Norwegian will be encouraged to learn the language within a reasonable time.
The assessment will emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position. You must be willing to engage in the ongoing development of your discipline and the university as a whole. During this assessment process, emphasis will be put on your potential for research as shown by the Master’s thesis, the cover letter, and any other academic works. In addition, we may consider work experience, teaching qualifications or other activities of significance for the PhD studies.
As many as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.
Admission to the PhD programme
For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Science and Technology and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.
Admission normally requires:
A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.
A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS.
A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.
To gain admission to the programme, the applicant must have a grade point average of C or better for the master’s degree and for relevant subjects of the bachelor’s degree. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here.
Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from NOKUT.
If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position.
Inclusion and diversity
UiT The Arctic University i Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a strength and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.
If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.
Application
Your application must include:
Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
CV (maximum 2 pages)
Diploma for bachelor's and master's degree
Transcript of grades/academic record for bachelor's and master's degree
Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or Scandinavian. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.
We offer
A cross-disciplinary, supportive, and stimulating working environment with a dynamic group of PhD candidates and early career researchers
Good welfare arrangements for employees including beneficial arrangements for pension and insurances
National and international mobility to work closely with the project partners and to present the work in conferences/workshops
A unique hometown Tromsø combining a multicultural urban scene with nearby Arctic wilderness
The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.
A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years.
Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.
We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure.
