Postdoctoral Fellow in Assessing greenhouse gas budgets of Permafrost landscapes

Ref. No. SU FV-1650-23

at the Department of Physical Geography . Closing date: 30 May 2023.

The Department of Physical Geography is one of the major departments within the Faculty of Science. The department has approximately 110 employees and educates approximately 1 000 students annually. Education is oriented towards geography, geosciences, biology-earth sciences, and environmental protection and environmental management. The main research areas are: Geomorphology and Glaciology; Water, Permafrost and Environmental Systems; Climate Science and Quaternary Geology; and Landscape, Evironment and Geomatics. We offer a stimulating and friendly environment in a very diverse and international department.

Project description
The northern permafrost region has been projected to shift from a net sink of greenhouse gases to a net source under global warming. However, annual permafrost region budgets of the main greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and N2O) are highly uncertain. This post-doctoral researcher would work on using improved geospatial databases of permafrost landscapes in combination with flux data time series to improve assessments of monthly to annual greenhouse gas budgets of the permafrost region for the past decades. The research would contribute to the Arctic Methane and Permafrost Challenge (AMPAC) within the ESA-funded AMPAC-Net project. The research also contributes to updated assessment of the peramforst region greenhouse gas budgets carried out within the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes-2 (RECCAP2) project.

Main responsibilities
The main responsibilities of this position is the collection and use of different types of data for assessing greenhouse gas budgets of permafrost landscapes. This includes working with databases and time series of greenhouse gas and lateral fluxes as well as the use of remote sensing products and geospatial data for characterization of high-latitude landscape types. The work will include mapping geomorphology, surface hydrology vegetation dynamics and phenology, freeze-thaw spatial and temporal dynamics. The candidate will further develop pan-arctic classification schemes for permafrost wetland and peatlands, related primarily to geomorphology, hydrology and freeze-thaw dynamics, and with implications for assessing monthly and annual greenhouse gas and lateral flux budgets. The candidate will also be active in project management and collaboration with other partners in AMPAC and RECCAP2. This offers opportunities to form collaborations with leading international researchers from many different institutions.   

Qualification requirements
Postdoctoral positions are appointed primarily for purposes of research. Applicants are expected to hold a Swedish doctoral degree or an equivalent degree from another country.

Assessment criteria
The degree must have been completed at latest before the employment decision is made, but no more than three years before the closing date. An older degree may be acceptable under special circumstances. Special reasons refer to sick leave, parental leave, elected positions in trade unions, service in the total defense, or other similar circumstances as well as clinical attachment or service/assignments relevant to the subject area.

In the appointment process, special attention will be given to broad research skills, knowledge in permafrost ecosystems and their greenhouse gas dynamics and geospatial modeling and analyses skills.

Required qualifications include:

• A doctoral degree in a relevant field
• Experience from research on landscape mapping and greenhouse gas dynamics
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team
• Independence and critical thinking demonstrated by scientific publications, and
• Excellent communication skills in English.

 Desired qualifications include:

• Experience of using Earth Observation and/or in-situ data to assess carbon cycle dynamics, preferably in permafrost regions
• Development of scripts for processing of large amounts of geographical data, and
• Experience from field sampling of vegetation, soil, water or fluxes, preferably in permafrost regions.

Terms of employment
The position involves full-time employment for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three years, with the possibility of extension under special circumstances. Start date 2023-07-01 or as per agreement.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact
Further information about the position can be obtained from Professor Gustaf Hugelius, telephone: +46 8 674 78 73, [email protected] .

Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, [email protected] , Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/OFR), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, [email protected] , and [email protected] (SEKO).

Application
Apply for the position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application

• Your contact details and personal data
• Your highest degree
• Your language skills
• Contact details for 2–3 references

and, in addition, please include the following documents

• Cover letter
• CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of publications
• Research proposal (no more than 3 pages) describing:
  – why you are interested in the field/project described in the advertisement
  – why and how you wish to complete the project
  – what makes you suitable for the project in question
• Copy of PhD diploma
• Letters of recommendation (no more than 3 files)
• Publications in support of your application (no more than 3 files).

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position .

You are welcome to apply!

Stockholm University contributes to the development of sustainable democratic society through knowledge, enlightenment and the pursuit of truth.

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