[DIALOGnews] DISCCRS News 5/4/2007
Ruth Ladderud
ladderra at whitman.edu
Fri May 4 13:17:38 CDT 2007
DISCCRS News
5/4/2007
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESOURCES and FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
New Website: Earth Portal by the National Council for Science and the
Environment (NCSE)
www.EarthPortal.org
(see RESOURCES 1 below)
NOAA Seeks Social Scientists with Aquatic Invasive Species Interest
(see RESOURCES 2 below)
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program
http://www.cies.org/sir/SIR_Guidelines.pdf
(see RESOURCES 3 below)
SCIENCE NEWS
Ocean's "Twilight Zone" May Be a Key to Understanding Climate Change
NSF Press Release 07-046
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?
cntn_id=108765&org=olpa&from=news
First genome comparison of plankton species yields surprising results
underlying key ocean processes
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/529501/
Rewriting the Science, scientists say that politicians edit global
warming research - CBS News
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/17/60minutes/
main1415985.shtml
Stanford Study On Public Perceptions on Climate Change - To be
Released May 4, 2007
(see NEWS 1 below)
Pacific Whale Decline 'A Mystery'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6599805.stm Or:
http://tinyurl.com/39h924
(see NEWS 2 below)
Climate Change Talks Grow in Importance
http://www.examiner.com/
a-700289~Climate_Change_Talks_Grow_in_Importance.html Or: http://
tinyurl.com/38grk2
(see NEWS 3 below)
Arctic ice retreating more quickly than computer models project
(see NEWS 4 below)
Scorched: Darfur -- the first climate change war?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,,2067637,00.html
(see NEWS 5 below)
Coal's Energy Potential Is an Engineering Challenge Now
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/science/01coal.html Or:
http://tinyurl.com/2coeny
(see NEWS 6 below)
Plan to Reclaim Land Would Divert the Mississippi
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/30/
AR2007043001478.html Or: http://tinyurl.com/39lnkw
(see NEWS 7 below)
The First Refugees of Global Warming
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/
chi-0705010817may02,1,7033000.story Or: http://tinyurl.com/2xcl63
(see NEWS 8 below)
JOBS
Climate Scientist - Union of Concerned Scientists – Berkeley, CA (USA)
http://www.ucsusa.org/ucs/about/jobs-at-ucs.html#Climate_Scientist
Visiting Fellowship - Development Cooperation in Water Management in
the Middle East - Wolfensohn Center for Development - Brookings
Institution, Washington, D.C. (USA)
http://www.brookings.edu/admin/wolfensohn_fellowship_WM.pdf
http://www.brookings.edu/global/wolfensohn.htm
(see JOB 1 below)
Post-doc - Aerosol Data Analysis - University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign (UIUC) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research
(NCAR), Boulder, Colorado (USA)
(see JOB 2 below)
PhD Fellowship - NICE-Network for Ice Sheet and Climate Evolution -
Marie Curie Research Training Network - Universite Catholique de
Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)
Belgium
http://www.astr.ucl.ac.be/index.php?page=JobMarieCurieRTN_PhD
(see JOB 3 below)
Post-Doc - Carbon Cycling Modeling: Bjerknes Centre for Climate
Research Unifob AS (Norway). (see JOB 4 below)
Post-Doc - Atmospheric Modeling: Remote impacts of West African and/
or South Asian monsoons. Meteo-France research institute, CNRM, and
CERFACS at the Meteo-France campus in Toulouse (France).
(see JOB 5 below)
3 Post-Docs - Glaciology - GLACIODYN & International Polar Year
Project to study the response of Arctic tidewater outlet glaciers to
climate warming - Edmonton, Vancouver, & St. Johns, - Canada
(see JOBS 6 below)
Post-Doc - Climate Modeling &/or Geochemistry: Marie Curie Research
Training Network & NICE – Network for ice sheet and climate evolution
(Belgium)
http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp6/mariecurie-actions/action/
level_en.html
(see JOB 7 below)
2 Asst Prof - tenure-track - Physical Geography (Atmosheric/Climate
Scientist & GIS) – National University of Singapore (Singapore)
(see JOBS 8 below)
Post-doc Research Associate - History of Science/Science Studies -
Joint Appointment between University of California, San Diego, and
Princeton University Program in Science, Technology and Environmental
Policy (USA)
(see Job 9 below)
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Resources and Funding Opportunities
(RESOURCES 1) New Website: Earth Portal by the National Council for
Science and the Environment (NCSE)
www.EarthPortal.org
Earth Portal is a comprehensive, free and dynamic resource for
timely, objective, science-based information about the environment
built by a global community of environmental experts: educators,
physical, life, and social scientists, scholars, and professionals
who have joined together to communicate to the world.
In contrast to information from anonymous sources with no quality
control, the Earth Portal is created and governed by individuals and
organizations who put their names behind their words and where
attribution and expert-review for accuracy are fundamental.
The Earth Portal includes:
1) Encyclopedia of Earth (www.eoearth.org) has an initial 2,300
articles from over 700 experts from 46 countries, as well as such
content partners as the World Wildlife Fund and the United Nations
Environment Programme. The Encyclopedia is a means for the global
scientific community to come together to produce the first free,
comprehensive expert-driven information resource on the environment.
The Encyclopedia includes articles, e-books and reports, interactive
maps, and biographies, and will eventually be published in other
major languages. Environmental scholars and experts are invited to
become contributors to the Encyclopedia. Click here.
2) Earth News ( www.earthportal.org/news) includes breaking news
updates from many sources, with links from key words to Encyclopedia
articles, enabling readers to learn about the science behind the
headlines.
3) Earth Forum (www.earthportal.org/forum ) allows the public to
engage in discussions with experts, ask questions and get answers,
and to participate in community debates about issues that matter to
them.
4) Environment in Focus (www.earthportal.org/?page_id=70 )
provides an exploration of a major issue each week – energy, climate
change, environmental economics and other topics – led by a prominent
expert in the subject and involving articles, news, places,
discussions, Q&A, interesting facts, and more.
The National Council for Science and the Environment
( www.NCSEonline.org) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
improving the scientific basis for environmental decision-making. The
NCSE specializes in programs that foster collaboration among diverse
institutions, communities and individuals. The NCSE serves as
secretariat for a growing Environmental Information Coalition of
environmental experts and organizations, which is building the Earth
Portal. ManyOne Networks, an innovative IT firm based near San Jose,
California, has provided engineering and vision for the Earth Portal.
********************
(RESOURCES 2) NOAA Seeks Social Scientists with Aquatic Invasive
Species Interest
NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) is
compiling a list of social scientists (construed broadly) with a
publication record or general interest in understanding, preventing,
responding to, and managing aquatic species invasions in U.S. coastal
ecosystems. This list will be used for purposes related to
developing a human dimensions focus in our invasive species program.
Such purposes may include, but are not limited to, invitations to
participate in research planning workshops, invitations to conduct
seminars, and requests for proposal reviews.
Those interested should reply directly to Marybeth Bauer, Ph.D.
at marybeth.bauer at noaa.gov and provide your name, affiliation, a
brief description of your specific research interest, and any
relevant publications.
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(RESOURCES 3) Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program
http://www.cies.org/sir/SIR_Guidelines.pdf
Through the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, the
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program brings scholars from abroad to
U.S. campuses to significantly internationalize host institution
campuses and curricula. Grants are available to bring scholars as
resident fellows for one term or an entire academic year to teach and
consult in area studies programs, interdisciplinary programs that
focus on global issues or courses where participation of a foreign
Scholar can provide a cross-cultural or international perspective.
Preference is given to institutions that infrequently or never host
Visiting Scholars and that serve student populations underrepresented
in international exchange programs, especially minority students.
Application deadline October 15, 2007.
To Apply: Download the Fulbright Guidelines for Scholar-in-
Residence Proposals from: http://www.cies.org/sir/SIR_Guidelines.pdf,
or contact Karen Watts, Senior Program Officer at kwatts at cies.iie.org.
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Science News
(NEWS 1) Stanford Study On Public Perceptions on Climate Change - To
be Released May 4, 2007
A new nationwide survey, conducted April 5-10, 2007, highlights
startling ways that Americans' thinking on the issue of climate
change has altered during just the past 12 months, as well as during
the last decade.
Normally, Americans' views on public policy issues change very
slowly.
One third of Americans now say global warming ranks as the
world's single largest environmental problem, double the number who
gave it top ranking last year, and seven in 10 Americans want more
federal action on global warming.
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(NEWS 2) Pacific Whale Decline 'A Mystery'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6599805.stm Or:
http://tinyurl.com/39h924
BBC News Online - Grey whales in the eastern Pacific appear to be
in some trouble, with the cause far from clear, scientists say.
Researchers with the conservation group Earthwatch found that whales
are arriving in their breeding grounds off the Mexican coast
malnourished.
The same thing happened just after the 1997/8 El Nino event,
which warmed the waters and depleted food stocks. Scientists are not
sure whether the current decline is climate related or part of a
natural predator-prey cycle.
"We're not really sure what is going on now," said William
Megill, a member of the Earthwatch team who also holds posts at Bath
University in the UK and the University of British Columbia in
Canada. "We certainly saw in Mexico this winter a very large number
of starving whales. ... There is currently an El Nino building, and
this is a worry."
********************
(NEWS 3) Climate Change Talks Grow in Importance
http://www.examiner.com/
a-700289~Climate_Change_Talks_Grow_in_Importance.html Or: http://
tinyurl.com/38grk2
San Francisco Examiner As the world warms and scientists'
warnings grow urgent, climate negotiators are counting down toward
make-or-break talks later this year, hoping for progress on a long-
term deal to sharply reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
Experts are beginning to fear, however, that as time runs down
the best that can be hoped for may be an extension of the relatively
weak Kyoto Protocol, due to expire in 2012. The alternative is a
world without any carbon-reduction rules at all.
In February, a U.N.-sponsored scientific network reported that
unabated global warming would produce a far different planet by
2100... In early April, the scientists said animal and plant life was
already being disrupted. In the third installment, coming Friday in
Bangkok, Thailand, the authoritative panel is expected to say the
world could still head off severe damage if all countries act
urgently, with the best policies and technology, to rein in carbon
dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions - an improbable scenario.
********************
(NEWS 4) Arctic ice retreating more quickly than computer models project
American Geophysical Union, National Snow and Ice Data Center,
National Center for Atmospheric Research Joint Release
AGU Release No. 07-11
WASHINGTON -- Arctic sea ice is melting at a significantly faster
rate than projected by even the most advanced computer models, a new
study concludes. A comparison of newly available observational data
to the results of numerous simulations indicates that, during the
past 50 years, Arctic sea ice has been disappearing about three times
faster than the average rate of loss that computer models have shown.
Because of the disparity between actual observations and the
models, the shrinking of summertime ice is about 30 years ahead of
climate model projections, the researchers conclude. As a result, the
Arctic could be seasonally free of sea ice earlier than recently
projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The IPCC timeframe for ice-free conditions is any time from 2050 to
well beyond 2100.
In the new analysis, Julienne Stroeve of the National Snow and
Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and his colleagues compared model simulations
of past climate with observations by satellites and other
instruments. They found that, on average, the models simulated a loss
in September ice cover of 2.5 percent per decade from 1953 to 2006.
The fastest rate of September retreat in any individual model was 5.4
percent per decade. (September marks the yearly minimum of sea ice in
the Arctic.)
In contrast, newly available data sets, blending early aircraft
and ship reports with more recent satellite measurements that are
considered more reliable than the earlier records, show that the
September ice actually declined at a rate of about 7.8 percent per
decade during the 1953-2006 period.
"This suggests that current model projections may in fact provide
a conservative estimate of future Arctic change, and that the summer
Arctic sea ice may disappear considerably earlier than IPCC
projections," Stroeve says.
The new findings will appear May 1 in Geophysical Research
Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.
Stroeve and his coauthors at NSIDC and at the National Center for
Atmospheric Research (NCAR) speculate that the computer models may
fail to capture the full impact of increased carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Whereas the models indicate that
about half of the ice loss from 1979 to 2006 was due to increased
greenhouse gases, and the other half due to natural variations in the
climate system, the new study indicates that greenhouse gases may be
playing a significantly greater role.
The Arctic is especially sensitive to climate change partly
because regions of sea ice, which reflect sunlight back into space
and provide a cooling impact, are disappearing. In contrast, darker
areas of open water, which are expanding, absorb sunlight and
increase temperatures. This feedback loop has played a role in the
increasingly rapid loss of ice in recent years, which accelerated to
9.1 percent per decade from 1979 to 2006 according to satellite
observations.
There are a number of factors that may lead to the low rates of
simulated sea ice loss. Several models overestimate the thickness of
the present-day sea ice. The models may also fail to fully capture
changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation that transport heat to
polar regions.
Although the loss of ice for March is far less dramatic than the
September loss, the models underestimate it by a wide margin as well.
The study concludes that the actual rate of sea ice loss in March,
which averaged about 1.8 percent per decade in the 1953-2006 period,
was three times larger than the mean from the computer models. March
is typically the month when Arctic sea ice is at its most extensive.
Stroeve and his colleagues find that the Arctic's ice cover is
retreating more rapidly than estimated by any of the 18 computer
models used by the IPCC in preparing its 2007 assessments.
The National Science Foundation, which is NCAR's principal
sponsor, and NASA funded the new study.
********************
(NEWS 5) Scorched: Darfur -- the first climate change war?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/story/0,,2067637,00.html
The Guardian (UK) - April 28, 2007 - As the conflict in Darfur
spreads across central Africa, with thousands more displaced and
killed, Julian Borger in Chad investigates the origins and
contradictions of what is likely to be seen as the first climate
change war
Special Report - In the relief camps scattered around the Chad-
Sudan border, the refugees from Darfur tell the same story - of an
ancient shared way of life catastrophically lost.
Less than a generation ago, Arabs and Africans coexisted
peacefully and productively in Darfur, Sudan's arid western province
which is more than twice the size of the United Kingdom. African
farmers had allowed Arab herders to graze their camels and goats on
the land, and the livestock had fertilised the soil.
The coexistence was so natural, in fact, the tribes of Darfur did
not even think of themselves as Arab or African. It is only now, in
light of the bloodshed of the past four years, that they look back
and affix ethnic titles to the protagonists in their story, with all
non-Arabs claiming the title African. Only a few years ago, it was
just nomads and farmers.
"There was never any big problem between the livestock herders
and the people living in the village," Yacoub Adam Omar, a 38-year-
old refugee from Darfur, told me.
"Some of my own tribe would even travel with the Arabs when they
went north into the desert in the rainy season and back in the dry
season. And if the Arabs had heavy baggage they would leave it with
us until they came back."
But here was Omar sitting in a refugee camp along with two
million of his fellow Darfurians after being ethnically cleansed from
their homes by Arab militia, the Janjaweed. UN officials now believe
400,000, mostly African civilians, have been killed.
Something fundamental has changed in this part of Africa, and it
happened within a generation. From a state of sectarian innocence in
which the dividing line between Arab and African was meaningless,
something made people pick sides, and hardened their new sense of
identity into ethnic hatred, all in the past two decades. What
changed, the evidence suggests, was the climate.
The current conflict began in 2003. It was triggered when
Darfurians launched a revolt against the central government, which
fought back by unleashing the Janjaweed.
But the real roots of the disaster stretch back to the mid-1980s
when a ferocious drought and famine transformed Sudan and the whole
Horn of Africa. It killed more than a million people and laid waste
livestock herds. Whether they maintained their way of life or tried
to take up settled cultivation, the pastoralists of Darfur clashed
repeatedly with its farmers. A string of conflicts broke out as both
sides armed themselves, and those conflicts created the template for
today's disaster. (continued – see http://www.guardian.co.uk/sudan/
story/0,,2067637,00.html)
*******************
(NEWS 6) Coal's Energy Potential Is an Engineering Challenge Now
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/science/01coal.html Or:
http://tinyurl.com/2coeny
New York Times (Registration Required) - WASHINGTON - Coal is so
cheap and so widely available that its increased use is inevitable,
but clearing the hurdle to burning it on a wide scale - separating
the carbon dioxide and sequestering it - could turn out to be one of
the great engineering challenges of the century, energy experts say.
There are at least a dozen proposals on Capitol Hill for
sequestering all the carbon from coal burning, and the Senate Energy
Committee began hearings last month on how to refocus research on the
problem. It's a challenge that has captured the attention of
engineers across the country who hope to perfect a clean-coal
technology that could provide climate-friendly energy for hundreds of
years at modest cost.
"Coal has to be in our energy mix, because of its value for
society and its importance to the country," said Mark Gray, vice
president for engineering services at American Electric Power, which
recently announced three projects to capture carbon. "We have enough
coal for anywhere from 200 to 450 years."
**********************
(NEWS 7) Plan to Reclaim Land Would Divert the Mississippi
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/30/
AR2007043001478.html Or: http://tinyurl.com/39lnkw
Washington Post (Registration Required) - ISLE DE JEAN CHARLES,
La. -- Over two centuries, engineers have restrained the Mississippi
River's natural urge to wriggle disastrously out of its banks by
building hundreds of miles of levees that work today like a riverine
straitjacket.
But it is time, Louisiana officials propose, to let the river
loose. To save the state from washing into the ocean at the
astonishing rate of 24 square miles per year, Louisiana officials are
developing an epic $50 billion plan that would rebuild the land by
rerouting one of the world's biggest rivers. The proposal envisions
enormous projects to provide flood protection and reclaim land-
building sediment from the river, which now flows uselessly out into
the Gulf of Mexico.
The cost of the project, which was initiated by the legislature
after hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed the dangers of the sinking
coast, dwarfs those of other megaprojects such as the $14 billion
"Big Dig" in Boston and the $8 billion Everglades restoration.
******************
(NEWS 8) The First Refugees of Global Warming
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/
chi-0705010817may02,1,7033000.story Or: http://tinyurl.com/2xcl63
Chicago Tribune (Registration Required) ANTARPARA, Bangladesh --
Muhammad Ali, a wiry 65-year-old, has never driven a car, run an air
conditioner or done much of anything that produces greenhouse gases.
But on a warming planet, he is on the verge of becoming a climate
refugee.
In the past 10 years the farmer has had to tear down and move his
tin-and-bamboo house five times to escape the encroaching waters of
the huge Jamuna River, swollen by severe monsoons that scientists
believe are caused by global warming and greater glacier melt in the
Himalayas.
Now the last of his land is gone, and Ali squats on a precarious
piece of government-owned riverbank -- the only ground available --
knowing the river probably will take that as well once the monsoons
start this month. ...Bangladesh is hardly the only low-lying nation
facing tough times as the world warms. But scientists say it in many
ways represents climate change's "perfect storm" of challenges
because it is extremely poor, extremely populated and extremely
susceptible.
*******************
(NEWS 9) Climate Change 'Can Be Tackled'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6620909.stm Or:
http://tinyurl.com/2bedd7
BBC News Online - The growth in greenhouse gas emissions can be
curbed at reasonable cost, experts at a major UN climate change
conference in Bangkok have agreed. Boosting renewable energy,
reducing deforestation and improving energy efficiency can all help,
they said.
This is the third report this year from the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and aims to set out the costs and
benefits of various policies. IPCC chair Rajendra Pachauri said the
report was "stunning."
"Human society as a whole has to look for changes in consumption
patterns," he told reporters at a news conference in the Thai
capital. The report suggests that if major climate impacts are to be
avoided, global emissions should peak and begin declining within one
or two decades.
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Jobs
Planktonnet: Great listserv for aquatic-science jobs
To subscribe to the list, send an empty email to:
planktonnet-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
Or, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/planktonnet/ and click on
'Join this group'
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(JOB 1) Visiting Fellowship - Development Cooperation in Water
Management in the Middle East - Wolfensohn Center for Development -
Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C. (USA)
http://www.brookings.edu/admin/wolfensohn_fellowship_WM.pdf
http://www.brookings.edu/global/wolfensohn.htm
The mission of the Wolfensohn Center is to examine how
development interventions can be successfully implemented, scaled up
and sustained to solve key development challenges at a national,
regional and global level. To pursue this goal, the Wolfensohn Center
strives to bridge the gap between development theorists and
practitioners, working in partnership with others, especially
partners in developing countries, to promote local ownership and
capacity, and ensure development impact.
The two-year Visiting Fellowship is devoted to the study of water
management in Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. The goal of
the fellowship is to foster cooperative research between academics
from Israel and neighboring States on national and regional
approaches to water management in the hopes of fostering progressive
national and regional solutions to what is a critical development
concern in the Middle East.
We would appreciate if you could distribute this information to
interested scholars and practitioners within your organization as
well as other relevant institutions and we welcome your feedback and
suggestions regarding other regional institutions, academics and
organizations working on issues of water management in the region.
Thank you for your interest in our project. Please do not
hesitate to be in touch with us should you have any questions or
concerns. You may contact me via e-mail at opidufala at brookings.edu,
or by phone at +1-202-797-6468.
********************
(JOB 2) Post-doc - Aerosol Data Analysis - University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and the National Center for Atmospheric
Research (NCAR), Boulder, Colorado (USA)
A postdoctoral position is available to work in a collaborative
project between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder,
Colorado. This position will focus on exploiting global models and
satellite data to improve model representations of industrial aerosol
emissions. NCAR's Community Atmosphere Model and new emission and
optical representations from UIUC will be used along with daily and
monthly MODIS nd/or MISR data. This appointment is for one year, and
funding may be sought for a second year. Ph.D. or equivalent in a
physical science is required. The candidate should be able to think
physically, apply statistical techniques, and manage large data sets.
Background in one or more of the following is desired: aerosol
physics and optics, modeling of atmospheric chemistry, aerosol-cloud
interactions, satellite data interpretation. However, skill with data
manipulation and comparison is of greatest importance. Please submit
a curriculum vitae, letter of interest, and the names and contact
information of three references to Tami Bond, yark at uiuc.edu. A record
of publications demonstrating research experience and writing ability
should be included. This position is available immediately, and
applications will be considered until June 1, 2007.
********************
(JOB 3) PhD Fellowship - NICE-Network for Ice Sheet and Climate
Evolution - Marie Curie Research Training Network - Universite
Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)
Belgium
http://www.astr.ucl.ac.be/index.php?page=JobMarieCurieRTN_PhD
As part of the Marie Curie Research Training Network NICE -
Network for Ice Sheet and Climate Evolution, the Institut
d'Astronomie et de Geophysique Georges Lemaitre of the Universite
Catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium invites
applications for a three-year PhD fellowship beginning in October 2007.
The successful candidate will be expected to utilize LOVECLIM, a
three-dimensional Earth system model of intermediate complexity, with
water isotopes to investigate past abrupt climate changes involving
the cryosphere. This work will be achieved through specific training
courses and collaborative projects with different laboratories
involved in the network.
Applicants should preferably have a background in Earth sciences,
more specifically in climate modeling and/or geochemistry.
Applications, including a detailed curriculum vitae, letter
describing relevant experience and research interests, and the name
and address of one academic referee, should be sent as soon as
possible to: Thierry Fichefet ( fichefet at astr.ucl.ac.be ) Universite
Catholique de Louvain, Institut d'Astronomie et de Geophysique
Georges Lemaitre, Chemin du Cyclotron, 2; B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium
Before applying, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to
review the definition of Early Stage Researcher (ESR) and other
eligibility requirements at: http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp6/
mariecurie-actions/action/level_en.html
Applications will be evaluated on an ongoing basis.
********************
(JOB 4) Post-Doc - Carbon Cycling Modeling: Bjerknes Centre for
Climate Research Unifob AS (Norway).
Deadline for applications is 18 May 2007.
The Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (BCCR; http://
www.bjerknes.uib.no/) is a joint climate research venture between the
University of Bergen (UoB), the Institute of Marine Research (IMR)
and the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC). The
BCCR integrates observationalists and modellers in a concerted
interdisciplinary research effort. The BCCR comprises the largest
climate research group in Norway and has the status of national
Center of Excellence. The BCCR´s Secretariat is as unit of Unifob AS
(http://www.unifob.uib.no/).
A 2-year postdoctoral position in carbon cycle climate modelling
is available at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (BCCR). The
candidate will contribute to the development of the Bergen Climate
Model (BCM) to an earth system model including terrestrial and marine
carbon cycle components. The research activities are part of EU
Integrated Project CARBOOCEAN (http://www.carboocean.org), which is
coordinated by the University of Bergen. The Earth system model will
also be an important tool for the next IPCC scenario series. We
encourage especially scientists with a strong interest in the model
development aspect to apply.
Potential candidates must have a Ph.D. in physics, mathematics,
oceanography, meteorology, geoecology, computer science or related
disciplines. Scientific requirements for the position are an interest
in interdisciplinary earth system science and relevant experience in
at least one of the following fields: climate dynamics, geophysical
fluid dynamics, carbon cycle biogeochemistry, and numerical
mathematics. Technical qualifications include excellent knowledge of
the programming language FORTRAN, as well as experience with the
operating system UNIX, the development of complex software packages,
and analysis of large data sets. Experience with climate models and
coupling procedures are important. The successful candidate will work
in a lively research environment, must have good team working skills,
and the ability to pursue a scientific career in geosciences or
computational science.
Further information about the position can be obtained from
Christoph Heinze, Prof. in Global Carbon Cycle Modelling, Geophysical
Institute, e-post: christoph.heinze at gfi.uib.no, +47 975 57 119.
Informal enquiries are welcome.
Applications must be submitted in 3 copies, each with a complete
overview over education and previous practice (CV), list of
publications, certified copies of certificates and diplomas, as well
as names and addresses of 2 scientific references. Applications
should be forwarded to the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research,
University of Bergen, Allégaten 55, N-5007 Bergen, Norway, by 18 May
2007. Do not submit applications by e-mail. The application should be
marked: "07/6420".
********************
(JOB 5) Post-Doc - Atmospheric Modeling: Remote impacts of West
African and/or South Asian monsoons. Meteo-France research institute,
CNRM, and CERFACS at the Meteo-France campus in Toulouse (France).
Application Deadline 15 June 2007
A research post-doctoral position is offered jointly by CNRM and
CERFACS at the Meteo-France campus in Toulouse (France). It is funded
by the French ANR project IRCAAM (Influence Reciproque des Climats
d'Afrique de l'Ouest, du sud de l'Asie et du bassin Mediterraneen)
coordinated by CNRM.
The Meteo-France research institute, CNRM, and CERFACS are
recruiting a post-doc scientist. The task will be the design and
analysis of original global atmospheric simulations devoted to the
understanding of the reciprocal influence of the West African and
South Asian monsoons at the intra-seasonal to seasonal timescales,
and of their possible remote impacts particularly on the
Mediterranean basin.
The original experiment design will be based on a regional
nudging technique in which the Arpege-Climat AGCM is relaxed towards
the ERA40 reanalyses (grid-point nudging of U, V and T) over a
specified 3D monsoon domain. Besides control experiments with
prescribed SSTs and interactive soil moisture, sensitivity
experiments will be also conducted in which the AGCM is coupled to a
mixed layer ocean model (addition of the SST feedback) or relaxed
towards its own soil moisture climatology (suppression of the land
surface feedback). Particular attention will be paid to the
occurrence of extreme climate events, their potential sensitivity to
the monsoon diabatic forcing, their potential predictability at the
sub-seasonal to seasonal timescale, and their potential amplification
through SST or soil moisture feedbacks. Besides idealized experiments
with climatological SSTs, case studies will also be used to explore
the relative contribution of observed SSTs and observed West African
or South Asian monsoon variability to global climate anomalies,
especially those found in the free monsoon domain and over the
Mediterranean basin.
The first task will be the calibration of the regional nudging
technique in seasonal atmospheric simulations driven by prescribed
SSTs. Once the nudging domain and strength will be validated over
both West Africa and South Asia, idealized experiments and case
studies will be conducted to answer the following questions: - What
is the reciprocal influence of, and the Mediterranean response to,
the diabatic heating associated with the annual cycle of the South
Asian and West African monsoon climates ? - What is the reciprocal
influence of, and the Mediterranean response to, the interannual
variability of the monsoon climates ? - What are the respective roles
of intra-seasonal and interannual modes of variability in the
apparent teleconnections ?
The second step will be the coupling of Arpege-Climat with a
mixed layer ocean model provided by CERFACS. The objective is to
study the potential contribution of the SST feedbacks to the global
atmospheric response to the monsoons' annual cycle and intra-seasonal/
interannual variability. It will be conducted at CERFACS in close
collaboration with CNRM.
Required qualifications: - Ph.D thesis in atmospheric sciences
or equivalent, at the time of selection jury; - experience in
atmospheric numerical modeling; - communication and team work
abilities; - familiarity with Unix systems or equivalent, and Fortran
language; - good English language level (written and spoken); -
previous knowledge and experience on West African and/or South Asian;
monsoon intra-seasonal and/or interannual variability would be an
advantage.
Please send CV, list of publications, letter of intent, two
letters of recommendation plus any relevant document, until 15 June
2007, to: Herve Douville Meteo-France CNRM/GMGEC/UDC, 42 Avenue
Coriolis 31057 Toulouse cedex 01, France, e-mail:
herve.douville at meteo.fr; as well as a copy to: Christophe Cassou,
CNRS-CERFACS, 42 Avenue Coriolis, 31057 Toulouse, France email:
christophe.cassou at cerfacs.fr
Application by e-mail is encouraged.
********************
(JOBS 6) 3 Post-Docs - Glaciology - GLACIODYN & International Polar
Year Project to study the response of Arctic tidewater outlet
glaciers to climate warming - Edmonton, Vancouver, & St. Johns, - Canada
We are looking for 3 Post-doctoral Fellows and 1 Ph.D student to
join a Canadian International Polar Year Project to study the
response of Arctic tidewater outlet glaciers to climate warming. The
project involves 6 Canadian Universities and the Canada Centre for
Remote Sensing, along with collaborators in the United Kingdom. For
further details see: http://web.unbc.ca/~boon/IPY/index.html .
Details of the positions and application procedures are detailed
below.
POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN GLACIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
(EDMONTON, CANADA)
POSITION: Postdoctoral Fellow
PROJECT: The Dynamic response of Arctic glaciers to global warming: a
Canadian contribution to IPY project GLACIODYN (IPY 30)
SUBJECT AREA: Remote sensing of surface melt, drainage system
development and iceberg production on tidewater outlet glaciers
QUALIFICATIONS: Ph.D. in Geoscience with a background in remote
sensing/GIS
LOCATION: University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
DURATION: 2 years
START DATE: Fall 2007 or earlier
COMPENSATION: $40,000 CDN per year
FUNDING SOURCE: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The primary goal of the project is to use
satellite remote sensing to investigate the seasonal evolution of
surface melt on a large tidewater outlet glacier (Belcher Glacier,
Devon Island ice cap) and it's relationship to the development of
surface melt water drainage systems (including the formation and
drainage of supraglacial lakes). A secondary goal is to investigate
the seasonal pattern of iceberg calving and its relationship to ice
flow dynamics and the formation and breakup of fjord sea ice. Primary
data sources will be EnviSat and ERS SAR data and SPOT visible
imagery. The postdoctoral fellow will work closely with project
collaborators at the Universities of Calgary, Alberta, Ottawa, and
Northern British Columbia, the Memorial University of Newfoundland,
and the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing who will be engaged in
closely related field and modelling studies.
Candidates should have a strong background in remote sensing and
will ideally have experience of working with microwave and SAR data.
For further information contact Martin Sharp (see details below). To
apply, please submit a statement of research interests, curriculum
vitae and names and contact information for three references to
Martin Sharp.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Martin Sharp, Professor, Department of Earth
and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, 1-26 Earth Science
Building, Edmonton, Ab T6G 2E3 Canada Tel: 780 492 5249, E-mail:
martin.sharp at ualberta.ca http://arctic.eas.ualberta.ca
POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN GLACIOLOGY, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
(VANCOUVER, CANADA)
POSITION: Postdoctoral Fellow
PROJECT: The Dynamic response of Arctic glaciers to global warming: a
Canadian contribution to IPY project GLACIODYN (IPY 30)
SUBJECT AREA: Numerical modelling of ice dynamics and hydrology
QUALIFICATIONS: Ph.D. in quantitative geoscience
LOCATION: Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada) in collaboration with the University of Calgary (Calgary,
Alberta, Canada)
DURATION:2 years
START DATE: Fall 2007 or earlier
COMPENSATION: $40,000 CDN per year
FUNDING SOURCE: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The goal of this project is to develop and
validate a high-resolution coupled model of mass balance, hydrology
and ice dynamics to investigate the current state and future
behaviour of a tidewater outlet glacier on the Devon Ice Cap,
Canadian Arctic. Project collaborators will be collecting field and
remote sensing data in 2007 and 2008 to characterize and quantify the
glacier geometry, mass balance, surface motion, seasonal hydrological
evolution and calving rate. The postdoctoral associate will develop
and integrate models of hydrology (supraglacial, englacial and
subglacial) and ice dynamics, including the development of techniques
for assimilation of field data collected within this study. The
postdoctoral fellow will work closely with project collaborators at
the Universities of Calgary, Alberta, and Northern British Columbia.
Candidates should have a strong quantitative background and will
ideally have experience programming in Fortran and Matlab. For
further information contact Gwenn Flowers or Shawn Marshall (see
details below). To apply, please submit a statement of research
interests, curriculum vitae and names and contact information for
three references to Gwenn Flowers.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Gwenn E. Flowers, Assistant Professor &
Canada Research Chair in Glaciology, Department of Earth Sciences,
Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6
Canada Tel: 604 268 6638, E-mail: gflowers at sfu.ca http://
www.sfu.ca/earth-sciences/people/faculty/flowers.html
POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN GLACIOLOGY, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF
NEWFOUNDLAND (ST. JOHN'S, CANADA)
POSITION: Postdoctoral Fellow
PROJECT: The Dynamic response of Arctic glaciers to global warming: a
Canadian contribution to IPY project GLACIODYN (IPY 30)
SUBJECT AREA: Ice calving model development and application
QUALIFICATIONS: Ph.D. in quantitative geoscience or related field
DURATION: 1 year
START DATE: Fall 2007
COMPENSATION: $35,000 CDN per year
FUNDING SOURCE: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The main goal of this project is to develop
and validate a cross-scale model of ice calving (or equivalently of
stability controls for marine termini) applicable to both polar and
sub-polar tidewater glaciers. The resultant model will be used in
conjunction with project partners to investigate the current state
and future behaviour of a tidewater outlet glacier on the Devon Ice
Cap, Canadian Arctic. Project collaborators will be collecting field
and remote sensing data in 2007 and 2008 to characterize and quantify
the glacier geometry, mass balance, surface motion, seasonal
hydrological evolution and calving rate. The postdoctoral associate
will assemble ice calving data from international GLACIODYN partners
and other available sources for both calibrating, testing, and
validating possible models. Numerical issues such as the impact of
grid-resolution will be examined and incorporated into the modelling.
Sensitivity studies using a coupled ice-dynamics/hydrology/calving
model will then assess future stability of the Belcher glacier marine
terminus under global warming scenarios as well as identify the key
factors controlling the apparent present-day stability. There may
also be an opportunity for some field work at the marine terminus.
The postdoctoral associate will also be involved with various other
projects related to the development of the MUN/UofT glacial systems
model.
Candidates should have a strong quantitative background and will
ideally have experience programming in F90 and Matlab/Octave. For
further information contact Lev Tarasov (see details below). To
apply, please submit a statement of research interests, curriculum
vitae, and names and contact information for three references to Lev
Tarasov.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Lev Tarasov, Associate Professor & Canada
Research Chair in Glacial Dynamics Modelling, Department of Physics
and Physical Oceanography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St.
John's, NL A1B 3X7, Tel: 519-821-3555, lev at physics.mun.ca http://
www.mun.ca/physics/people/faculty/tarasov.php
****************
(JOB 7) Post-Doc - Climate Modeling &/or Geochemistry: Marie Curie
Research Training Network & NICE – Network for ice sheet and climate
evolution (Belgium)
http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp6/mariecurie-actions/action/
level_en.html
As part of the Marie Curie Research Training Network NICE -
Network for ice sheet and climate evolution, the Institut
d'Astronomie et de Géophysique Georges Lemaître of the Université
Catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) invites
applications for one Ph.D. fellowship for 3 years, beginning in
October 2007.
The successful candidate is expected to include in LOVECLIM, a
three-dimensional Earth system model of intermediate complexity (see
http://www.astr.ucl.ac.be/index.php?page=LOVECLIM%40Description for
information about this model), water isotopes and to use this model
to investigate past abrupt climate changes involving the cryosphere.
This work will be achieved through collaborative projects with the
different laboratories involved in the network and specific training
courses.
Applicants should preferably have a background in Earth sciences,
and more specifically in climate modelling and/or geochemistry.
Applications, including a detailed curriculum vitae, a letter
describing relevant experience and research interests, and the name
and address of one academic referee, should be sent as soon as
possible to: Professor Thierry Fichefet, Université Catholique de
Louvain, Institut d'Astronomie et de Géophysique Georges Lemaître,
Chemin du Cyclotron, 2, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Please check the definition of Early Stage Researcher (ESR) as
well as other eligibility requirements on http://ec.europa.eu/
research/fp6/mariecurie-actions/action/level_en.html before applying
for the position. Applications will be evaluated on an ongoing basis.
For further information, contact Professor Thierry Fichefet
(phone: +32-10-473295; e-mail: fichefet at astr.ucl.ac.be; website:
http://www.astr.ucl.ac.be).
****************
(JOBS 8) 2 Asst Prof - tenure-track - Physical Geography (Atmosheric/
Climate Scientist & GIS) – National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Application Review begins 1 June 2007
Applications from atmospheric/climate scientists are encouraged
Applications are invited for two tenure-track appointments in
physical geography at the Department of Geography at the National
University of Singapore. Appointment will be made at either the
Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level. Candidates should
strengthen and complement research and teaching in the Tropical
Environmental Change research cluster.
* For the first position, candidates should have expertise in
environmental change dynamics and impacts on biogeochemical cycles.
Related experience in applications of remote sensing, GIS or modeling
is an advantage.
* For the second position, candidates should have expertise in
GIS development and applications to environmental problems.
Candidates should have a doctoral degree in geography,
environmental science or a related discipline. Field research in
tropical areas, especially Southeast Asia, is an advantage as is
previous post-doctoral or faculty experience. Applicants are
expected to have an established record in international refereed
journals.
Successful candidates should be prepared to teach relevant
courses at undergraduate and graduate levels in the fields of
physical geography, geographical methods and GIS. To apply, please
submit your full CV, including names and contacts of three referees,
any past teaching evaluations and a statement indicating your
research agenda and teaching interests to: Associate Professor David
Higgitt, Chair Search Committee for Physical Geography Positions,
Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, 1 Arts
Link, Kent Ridge, Singapore 177570. Tel +65-6516 6638; Fax +65-6777
3091; Email geowlw at nus.edu.sg (Ms Wong Lai Wa). Envelopes should be
clearly marked "Faculty Position in Physical Geography" and indicate
which position is being applied for.
Application review will begin on 1 June 2007 and will continue
until suitable candidates are recruited. Applicants must be willing
to start work preferably in January 2008 or latest by July 2008.
****************
(JOB 9) Post-doc Research Associate - History of Science/Science
Studies - Joint Appointment between University of California, San
Diego, and Princeton University Program in Science, Technology and
Environmental Policy (USA)
The use of scientific assessment as a formalized process for
evaluating knowledge for the specific purpose of informing government
decision-making has expanded since the mid-1970s, but how well have
these assessments worked? As part of the initial stage of a multi-
year collaborative project between University of California, San
Diego and The Woodrow Wilson School's Science, Technology and
Environmental Policy Program at Princeton University, we seek a post-
doctoral fellow to examine the history of scientific assessments of
the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and its role in sea
level rise caused by global warming.
The ideal fellow will have a Ph.D. in history of science or a
closely related field, and sufficient scientific background to
understand the technical issues at stake in the scientific
evaluations. The fellow will work under the joint supervision of
Naomi Oreskes, University of California, San Diego, and Michael
Oppenheimer, Woodrow Wilson School and Department of Geosciences,
Princeton University.
The initial appointment will be for one year, with the
possibility of renewal. The successful candidate will be based
primarily at the University of California, San Diego campus but must
be flexible enough to travel to the Princeton to conduct research
there as needed. Research could begin anytime after July 1, 2007.
Review of applications begins immediately and will continue until the
position is filled.
Applicants should send a CV and a cover letter describing their
areas of expertise and interest via email to Charles Crosby at
ccrosby at princeton.edu <mailto:ccrosby at princeton.edu> .
For more information about applying to Princeton please link to:
http://web.princeton.edu/sites/dof/ApplicantsInfo.htm
Candidates may choose to complete the "Invitation to Self-
Identify" form http://web.princeton.edu/sites/dof/forms/
PSoftSelfID.pdf. Providing the self-identification information is
completely voluntary and declining to submit the information will not
adversely affect your candidacy.
**************************************************
This newsletter has been developed by C. Susan Weiler to distribute
information of potential interest to recent PhDs engaged in
interdisciplinary aquatic science or climate-change research, and to
build an international sense of community among recent grads. It
provides an international forum for the exchange of information and
opinions regarding research, professional and social issues. The
views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the
funding agencies or sponsoring societies. Dr. Weiler reserves the
right to edit or reject material submitted to the list.
Please submit announcements of interest to recent PhDs to
phd at whitman.edu. Send a short message in the body of an e-mail
message, and link to any appropriate websites. Do not send attachments.
Moving? Send address changes to dialog at whitman.edu or
disccrs at whitman.edu
**********
C. Susan Weiler, Ph.D.
Office for Earth System Studies Tel: 509-527-5948
Whitman College Fax: 509-527-5961
Walla Walla, WA 99362
weiler at whitman.edu
Programs for Recent PhDs http://aslo.org/phd.html
DISCCRS poster http://www.aslo.org/phd/disccrsposter.pdf
Workshop Report, Meeting the Needs of
Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Graduates in a
Changing Global Environment
http://marcus.whitman.edu/~weilercs/biocomplexity/
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