Current PhD opportunities with BUFI

Uncertainty in expert interpretation of geological cross‐sections and its propagation into 3D geological framework models

Geologists now use computer software to represent their understanding of geology in a 3‐D model rather than on a paper map. These models are used for many applications in industry, planning and policy, and are the new state‐of‐the art for representing geological information at the British Geological Survey (BGS). However, users of geological information are increasingly aware that, while it represents the expert geologist's best interpretation of data, it has an attendant uncertainty. This uncertainty leads to risks when the information is used for planning. Can we describe the uncertainty in a model quantitatively so that the risk can be rationally managed? That is the exciting and demanding challenge that faces the student who takes on this project.

This project will have implications for how geological information is used in areas as diverse as carbon capture and storage technology, geological disposal of radioactive waste, groundwater modelling, planning in the oil and gas industries and civil engineering. The student who undertakes it will participate in cuttingedge research and will gain experience that will position them strongly for a career in many areas of earth science.

Closing date: Friday 19th April 2013.

ESRC +3 studentship: Investigating public engagement with environmental change: the role of place attachments and environmental values

The College of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Exeter is pleased to offer a +3 studentship funded by the ESRC and the British Geological Survey as part of the Environment, Energy and Resilience interdisciplinary pathway of the South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC) for entry in 2012/13. Successful applicants will benefit from working within a lively research environment within Geography (Streatham Campus, Exeter) at the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter.

Palaeohydrology of a rapid climate change event at the Palaeocene-Eocene boundary

Applications are invited for a 3.5-year PhD studentship. The studentship will start on October 1st 2012.

The closing date of 18th May 2012.

Glacier-to-foreland hydrological coupling at a maritime glacier, Iceland

The School of the Environment, University of Dundee invites applications from prospective PhD students for a 3.5-yr fully funded BGS-NERC/Dundee studentship to commence in Autumn 2012.

Closing date: 1st of June 2012.

Peat's secret archive: reconstructing the North Atlantic storm frequency and volcanic eruption history of the last 10,000 years

The School of Natural Science, University of Stirling invites applications from prospective PhD students for a 3.5-yr fully funded BGS-NERC/Stirling studentship to commence in Autumn 2012.

The closing date of 27th April 2012.

Fully funded PhD position: Geological controls on the distribution and abundance of invertebrate groundwater fauna

Applications are invited for a fully funded 3.5 year PhD to investigate the geological and hydrogeological controls on the distribution of invertebrate stygobites (groundwater animals) in the UK. This highly interdisciplinary study is based at Roehampton University and the Groundwater Science programme of the British Geological Survey and provides a unique opportunity to work on an unusual and poorly understood ecosystem.

Application form

Guidance notes for applicants

Closing date: 16 March 2012

Fully funded PhD position: Development and application of geophysical tools for imaging geotechnical property changes during development of near surface shear zones

This project will develop new approaches to monitoring slope failure using integrated geotechnical-geophysical sensor technologies. The project will establish methodologies for analysing the spatial and temporal coherence of time series geotechnical data from distributed sensor networks and time-lapse volumetric images gathered using high resolution electrical tomography. Ultimately, the project aims to identify development of low strength zones from the spatial and temporal material property change sequences associated with a shear failure event.

Closing date: 15 March 2012

Fully funded PhD position: Late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental reconstruction from Lake Ohrid (Macedonia/Albania) using stable isotopes

This project will involve laboratory-based analysis at the NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory (NIGL) and the British Geological Survey (BGS). Keen interests/experience in stable isotope geochemistry and sedimentology are essential. University and NERC postgraduate training courses will be undertaken.

Closing date: 29 February 2012

ESRC Doctoral Training Centre +3 Studentship: Investigating public engagement with mineral extraction: the role of place attachment and environmental values Ref: 929

The College of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Exeter is pleased to offer a +3 studentship funded by the ESRC and the British Geological Survey as part of the Environment, Energy and Resilience interdisciplinary pathway of the South West Doctoral Training Centre for entry in 2012/13. Successful applicants will benefit from working within a lively research environment within Geography (Streatham Campus, Exeter) at the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter.

Closing date: 17 Febuary 2012

Theme	Team	Title	Supervisors
Environment & Hazards Closing date was: 29/10/2010	Environment & Hazards	Community Resilience to Geological Hazards in the Solomon Islands: Harnessing Local Knowledge and Shared Experience.	Open University: Dr Nigel Clark & Dr David Humphreys, Leicester University: Professor Mike Petterson, British Geological Survey: Dr Susanne Sargeant
Minerals & Waste Closing date was: 10/09/2010	Mineral sustainability	Active and ancient geothermal systems in Tethyan ophiolites as examples of novel solutions for natural CO2 sequestration.	University of Leicester: Dr Gawen Jenkin, British Geological Survey: Dr Jon Naden & Dr Mike Styles, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre: Dr Adrian Boyce
Climate Change Closing date was: 03/05/2010	Climate Change	The role of the North Atlantic Oscillation in driving climatic variability during the Late Holocene.	University of Exeter: Dr Richard Jones & Dr Liam Reinhardt, British Geological Survey: Dr Mike Ellis
Environment & Hazards Closing date was: 30/04/2010	Abandoned mine and Contaminated Land	The geomicrobiology of coal mine drainage – microbes, green rust and the factors controlling iron mineralogy in coal mine drainage.	University of Aberystwyth: Dr William Perkins, Dr Gareth Griffiths, DR Kevin Hallberg University if Bangor Dr Barrie Johnson. British Geological Survey: Dr Jenny Bearcock and Dr Barbara Palumbo-Roe
Spatial Geoscience Technologies Closing date was: 19/04/2010	Geophysical tomography	4D Geophysical Monitoring of Landslide Processes	University of Leeds: Dr William Murphy. British Geological Survey: Dr Jonathan Chambers
Environment & Hazards Closing date was: 26/03/2010	Environmental geosciences baseline	Microbial response to soil chemistry defined by the Tellus dataset, Northern Ireland.	University of Manchester: Dr Richard Pattrick, Dr Jon Lloyd, Dr Andrew Tye (British Geological Survey) and Dr Carolyn Pearce at PNNL Washington state
Energy Closing date was: 31/07/09	Regional hydrocarbon prospectivity	Primary biological controls on UK lower Namurian shale gas prospectivity: understanding a major potential UK unconventional gas resource	University of Leicester, Dr Sarah Davies Dr Mike Stephenson (British Geological Survey - BGS), Professor Melanie Leng (NERC Isotopes Geoscience Laboratory), Dr L. Angiolini (Università degli Studi di Milano), Dr Sarah Gabbott (UoL), J.H.S. Macquaker (Memorial University, Newfoundland), Dr C. Vane (BGS), Dr. D Millward (BGS) and Dr I. Kane (University of Leeds)
Minerals Closing date was: 31/07/09	Minerals for development	Magmatic, structural and tectonic controls on Cu-Au mineralization in the Solomon Islands arc, SW Pacific	University of Leicester, Prof Mike Petterson (UoL), Prof D Saunders (UoL), Dr Gawen Jenkin (UoL), Dr Jon Naden (BGS), Dr Dan Smith (BGS) and Dr Gus Gunn (BGS)
Energy Closing date was: 14/07/09	Renewable and clean coal	How do Geothermal Fields Relate to Contact Aureoles: A Field and Experimental Study	Professor Bruce Yardley (University of Leeds) and Dr. Chris Rochelle (BGS)
Marine Geoscience Closing date was: 12/06/09	Continental Margins	A comparison of the geological, geodynamic and rheological evolution of the northern and southern Rockall Basin using a 3D modelling approach	Keele University, Stuart Egan (KU), Stuart Clarke (KU), Geoff Kimbell (BGS), Howard Johnson (BGS) and Ken Hitchen (BGS)
Climate Change Closing date was: 12/06/09	Coastal Change	Determination of glacial processes from lake sediments within Lake Windermere	University of Southampton, Prof Jonathan M Bull (UoS), Dr Carol Cotterill (BGS), Dr Justin Dix (UoS), Dr Chris Vane (BGS)
Environmental Geoscience Baselines Closing date was: 31/03/09	Geochemical Baselines	The Fate of Contaminants in Urban Soils and Road Dusts: Novel Assessments and Implications for Risks.	Manchester Metropolitan University, Professor K Taylor and Dr J Cheng (MMU) and Dr N Breward and Dr F Fordyce (BGS).
Spatial Geoscience Technologies Closing date was: 28/03/09	Theoretical geophysics	Electrical Tomography Optimisation for High-Resolution Imaging of Glacial Sediments.	Swansea University, Dr B Kulessa (Swansea) and P Wilkinson (BGS).
NIGL Closing date was: Mid Mar 2009		Resolving conflicting models for the tectonic assembly of the Eastern Himalaya.	Open University, T Argles, N Harris and S Kelley (Open University) and R Parrish (BGS).
Minerals & Waste Closing date was: 06/03/09	Minerals for development	Development of geochemical and mineralogical methods for targeting lower environmental impact secondary copper deposits in the Troodos Massif, Cyprus.	NERC Open CASE award with the Natural History Museum, Dr Richard Herrington, Camborne School of Mines, Dr Ben Williamson and the British Geological Survey, Dr Jon Naden