Jobs:Job-00172

PhD Position announcement: Boise State Geosciences: Patterns and controls of CO2 fluxes, ecohydrology, and nutrient availability on the carbonate-dominated dryland Critical Zone

Boise State University, Idaho, United States
Start reviewing process: 15 July 2020

Posting:

Position:

PhD opportunity

Start reviewing process:

15 July 2020

The Geosciences Department at Boise State seeks a PhD candidate with interest and expertise in soil science, soil geomorphology and soil geochemistry to be part of a new CZO team. The overarching goal of this project is to increase our capacity to quantify and predict dryland carbon budgets across land-use and climatic gradients by examining the role of water and nutrient availability in regulating the movement of organic and inorganic carbon. Building on historical datasets and studies, and utilizing state-of-art methods and techniques, this thematic cluster will fill critical knowledge gaps, and develop conceptual models to better quantify the role of drylands in global carbon cycles. We will integrate CZ science and promote the CZ approach among scientists at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), New Mexico State University (NMSU), Boise State University (BSU), and University of Wyoming (UW), and collaborate with existing research sites of NSF CZO, LTER, LTAR, and USDA-ARS. This project is also highly relevant for advancing STEAM education at all levels to a representative population of the western U.S.

The specific goal of this project is to investigate the influence of irrigation on inorganic carbon storage in soils. Irrigation has a profound effect on the dryland CZ, especially by altering calcite dissolution/precipitation dynamics. To date, representation of the potential shift in land-atmosphere CO2 exchange associated with dryland agriculture has been poorly recognized and models forecasting the future state of the Earth System do not include such dynamics.

Applicants with a master’s degree with a thesis focus in soil science, geochemistry, geomorphology or hydrology are preferred; exceptional applicants coming straight from an undergraduate program with research experience will also be considered.

Boise State Geosciences has a vibrant community of undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a variety of educational goals in the geosciences including successful futures in industry, consulting, government and graduate school. Boise, Idaho’s capital, is consistently ranked at the top of the country or region in national surveys and major magazines as a place to live and recreate. https://www.boisestate.edu/

Please contact Jen Pierce (jenpierce@boisestate.edu) if you are interested in applying.

Funding for this project will be available starting September 1, 2020.

Of interest for:

Terrestrial Working Group

Hydrology Focus Research Group

Critical Zone Focus Research Group