PhD Student with a degree in Environmental Science, Analytical Chemistry, Soil Science, Agricultural Sciences, Physical Geography or any related natural sciences: Jülich, Germany
For our Institute of Bio- and Geosciences – Agrosphere (IBG-3) we are seeking for a three-year position a
PhD Student
with a degree in Environmental Science, Analytical Chemistry, Soil Science, Agricultural Sciences, Physical Geography or any related natural sciences
Reference number: D065/2016
We at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Agrosphere (IBG-3) together with Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University Bonn conducts research to elucidate the role of "Soils of the Atacama Desert as reservoir for and fingerprint of life". This project is part of the consortium framework of the DFG funded collaborative research center (SFB) titled "Earth – Evolution at the dry limit".
Soils are the habitat and reservoir for plants and microorganisms, which leave their fingerprints through stoichiometry of key nutrients, presence and structure of micro-aggregates, and altered isotopic composition of soil constituents, e.g. ?18O of phosphates. Here we will assign alterations in nutrient pools and physical soil properties to potential trajectories in microclimate and present and past dispersal of life, and elucidate changes in nutrient content and soil stoichiometry dynamics in soil to a sudden increase in water availability. Attention in this PhD thesis is given to fact that significant portion of nutrients present in the ‘soils’ of Atacama region are related to atmospheric deposition, and over time the nutrients accumulate. We therefore assume that soil profiles will reveal a unique though little explored archive of nutrient fingerprints of past and present life in the Atacama Desert. These hypotheses are evaluated using a combination of optimized method protocols, including nutrient stoichiometry, stable isotope (?18O signatures of phosphates) and colloid analyses ((nano)-particle analysis by FFF-ICP-MS-OCD), as well as spectroscopic mapping of hot spot patterns at both micro- and macroscale – following potential biogeographic dispersal pathways and artificial irrigation events.
Requirements:
University degree in Environmental Science, Analytical Chemistry, Soil Science, Agricultural Sciences, Physical Geography or any related natural sciences with a good final grade (German system equivalent 2.0 or better); preferably with knowledge in soil science
Experience in analytical or field based techniques in working with soils techniques/analytical chemistry
Strong English writing and communication skills
We Offer:
Working in an interdisciplinary environment as well as excellent facilities for experimental and numerical simulation studies
Opportunities of being part of the national and international scientific community. PhD students are encouraged to attend international conferences and a three months research stay abroad with a cooperating partner is planned
Specialized courses, summer schools, seminars by renown experts
Equal opportunities are a cornerstone of our staff policy. Therefore applications from women and disabled persons are welcome. Payment of the PhD fellow will be based on 75% TVöD EG 13.
For further information about this PhD studentship position please contact:
Dr. Roland Bol (r.bol@fz-juelich.de) and Prof. Erwin Klumpp (e.klumpp@fz-juelich.de).
Please send your application preferably in electronic form (.pdf) – quoting the reference number – with the relevant documentation to:
Mr. K. Beumers
Institut fu?r Bio- und Geowissenschaften
Forschungszentrum Ju?lich GmbH
52425 Ju?lich
Germany
k.beumers@fz-juelich.de
PhD Student
with a degree in Environmental Science, Analytical Chemistry, Soil Science, Agricultural Sciences, Physical Geography or any related natural sciences
Reference number: D065/2016
We at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Agrosphere (IBG-3) together with Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University Bonn conducts research to elucidate the role of "Soils of the Atacama Desert as reservoir for and fingerprint of life". This project is part of the consortium framework of the DFG funded collaborative research center (SFB) titled "Earth – Evolution at the dry limit".
Soils are the habitat and reservoir for plants and microorganisms, which leave their fingerprints through stoichiometry of key nutrients, presence and structure of micro-aggregates, and altered isotopic composition of soil constituents, e.g. ?18O of phosphates. Here we will assign alterations in nutrient pools and physical soil properties to potential trajectories in microclimate and present and past dispersal of life, and elucidate changes in nutrient content and soil stoichiometry dynamics in soil to a sudden increase in water availability. Attention in this PhD thesis is given to fact that significant portion of nutrients present in the ‘soils’ of Atacama region are related to atmospheric deposition, and over time the nutrients accumulate. We therefore assume that soil profiles will reveal a unique though little explored archive of nutrient fingerprints of past and present life in the Atacama Desert. These hypotheses are evaluated using a combination of optimized method protocols, including nutrient stoichiometry, stable isotope (?18O signatures of phosphates) and colloid analyses ((nano)-particle analysis by FFF-ICP-MS-OCD), as well as spectroscopic mapping of hot spot patterns at both micro- and macroscale – following potential biogeographic dispersal pathways and artificial irrigation events.
Requirements:
University degree in Environmental Science, Analytical Chemistry, Soil Science, Agricultural Sciences, Physical Geography or any related natural sciences with a good final grade (German system equivalent 2.0 or better); preferably with knowledge in soil science
Experience in analytical or field based techniques in working with soils techniques/analytical chemistry
Strong English writing and communication skills
We Offer:
Working in an interdisciplinary environment as well as excellent facilities for experimental and numerical simulation studies
Opportunities of being part of the national and international scientific community. PhD students are encouraged to attend international conferences and a three months research stay abroad with a cooperating partner is planned
Specialized courses, summer schools, seminars by renown experts
Equal opportunities are a cornerstone of our staff policy. Therefore applications from women and disabled persons are welcome. Payment of the PhD fellow will be based on 75% TVöD EG 13.
For further information about this PhD studentship position please contact:
Dr. Roland Bol (r.bol@fz-juelich.de) and Prof. Erwin Klumpp (e.klumpp@fz-juelich.de).
Please send your application preferably in electronic form (.pdf) – quoting the reference number – with the relevant documentation to:
Mr. K. Beumers
Institut fu?r Bio- und Geowissenschaften
Forschungszentrum Ju?lich GmbH
52425 Ju?lich
Germany
k.beumers@fz-juelich.de