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1 postdocoral position at the Earth & Life Institute, UCLouvain
From: "Pierre Delmelle" <pierre.delmelle@xxxxxxxxxxxx>1 postdocoral position at the Earth & Life Institute, UCLouvain
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One full-time, 2-year postdoctoral position is available at the Earth &
Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium. The successful
candidate will investigate the volcanic and atmospheric controls on iron
solubility in volcanic ash in relation to the capacity of ash to deliver
bioavailable iron to the surface ocean. An outline of the project is
provided below.
Applicants should hold a PhD degree. A solid background in chemistry,
surface science and/or biogeochemistry is preferred. The project is
entirely lab-based and will involve a broad range of conventional and
state-of-the-art analytical techniques. The project has a strong
interdisciplinary component, and the successful applicant will be expected
to interact actively with researchers from various disciplines.
To apply, candidates should provide a PDF, including CV, research
statement and contact details of 2 referees. The research statement (1
page max.) should outline (i) previous research at PhD level and (ii)
motivation for the proposed research.
The application deadline is Fri 18th April and the candidate is
anticipated to start in June 2014.
Applications must be sent to
Pierre Delmelle (pierre.delmelle@xxxxxxxxxxxx)
For any queries, please contact the project supervisors:
Pierre Delmelle (pierre.delmelle@xxxxxxxxxxxx)
Steeve Bonneville (steeve.bonneville@xxxxxxxxx)
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Project outline
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Iron is a micronutrient that is limiting for marine phytoplankton growth.
While iron in airborne dust represents a small fraction of total iron
input to the ocean, this source is disproportionately important in the
open ocean. The ocean iron fertilization hypothesis suggests that on
geological timescale, phytoplankton-mediated atmospheric CO2 uptake and
related climate effect are governed by variations in dust flux to the
oceans. The research focus is largely on iron-bearing mineral dust swept
from the continents by wind. A hitherto neglected source of iron for the
ocean is silicate ash produced by volcanic eruptions. Over millennial
timescales, the ash input to the ocean is comparable to that of dust.
Critically, the ocean-fertilizing potential of ash, and in particular the
controls on ash Fe solubility and bioavailability, is unconstrained. This
project will quantify for the first time the impact of volcanic plume
processing and long-range atmospheric transport on the
solubility/bioavailability of iron in volcanic ash. The ash capacity to
alter phytoplankton growth and activity will be tested using novel
biochemical techniques. The project will illuminate the connection between
terrestrial volcanism and iron biogeochemistry in surface oceanic waters.
Volcano Listserv is a collaborative venture among Arizona State University (ASU), Portland State University (PSU), the Global Volcanism Program (GVP) of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, and the International Association for Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI).
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