[Aqualist] PhD positions available at U. Wollongong and University of Queensland

[Barrows, Timothy]

The following PhD projects are available:

(1) Climate and environmental histories from lake records on the northern New England Tablelands, northern NSW, Australia.

Supervisors:  Prof. James  Shulmeister, Dr. Craig Woodward and Dr. Patrick Moss (all U Queensland) with Dr. Bob Haworth (UNE)

PhD student position at Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, University of Queensland

The understanding of glacial age climates and vegetation change in Australia is strongly focussed on the SE corner of the continent. In addition intensive work has taken place in far north Queensland on the Atherton Tablelands. Between the Atherton and the south-eastern sites there is a large (>1000 km) gap with few data and no long duration records  from high elevation sites that are likely to be sensitive to climate change.  This project will address this important gap in Australian paleoecology and paleoclimatology by examining high elevation sites (>1300m) at the northern limits of westerly wind penetration in Australia.
This project involves microfossil (some or all of chironomid, charcoal, pollen, phytolith) and macrofossil investigations of lagoon records (including Little and Large Llangothlin and Billybung Lagoons)  from the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. The work will help determine the northern limits of glacial age cooling and changes in circulation from the glacial maximum (c. 21,000 years ago) to the present day.  We expect to get insights on summer temperature change from chironomids, regional and local vegetation change from pollen and phytoliths and fire histories from charcoal.  Pilot work has guaranteed the viability of the project.

The project is available to start from June 2011.

Please contact Dr. Craig Woodward (c.woodward1 at uq.edu.au<mailto:c.woodward1 at uq.edu.au>) for more information.

(2) The distribution and climate significance of periglacial landforms in temperate eastern Australia.

Supervisors:  Prof. James  Shulmeister  (UQ) and Dr Kevin Kiernan (U. Tasmania)  with Dr Tim Barrows (U. Exeter, UK) and Prof Doug Clark (Western Washington Univ, USA)

PhD student position at Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, University of Queensland

The understanding of glacial age climates and vegetation change in terrestrial Australia is strongly focussed on the SE corner of the continent.  Periglacial landforms were an early target of paloeclimate work in Australia with some very influential estimates of inferred climate conditions and scale of cooling at the last glaciation maximum (LGM).  This early work inferred periglacial conditions at the LGM as far north as about 30˚S. The existence of periglacial features, at least in the form of block slopes, from the Snowy Mountains south is clear, but there has been little systematic work on Australian periglacial phenomena and their climatic significance.

This project involves geomorphological and sedimentological investigations of presumed periglacial landforms in eastern mainland Australia and in Tasmania.  It will include the remote mapping, field investigation, and description of modern periglacial phenomena in Eastern Australia.  It may include modern climatological and monitoring work.  The core of the project will be to develop quantitative (and qualitative) relationships  between  the periglacial phenomena and modern climate. Relict periglacial features will be mapped in northern NSW (and dated using cosmogenic isotopes  - led by Tim Barrows at Exeter) and climate inferences for various locations in eastern Australia at the LGM will be constructed based on the relationships established.

The project is available to start from June  2011. Please contact Prof James Shulmeister (james.shulmeister at uq.edu.au<mailto:james.shulmeister at uq.edu.au>) or Dr Kevin Kiernan (Kevin.Kiernan at utas.edu.au<mailto:Kevin.Kiernan at utas.edu.au>) for more information.


(3) Fluvial evidence for glacial-age runoff: a palaeohydrological record for SE Australia.

Supervisors:  Dr Tim Cohen (UoW) and Dr Justine Kemp (Northumbria Univ.)

PhD student position at School of Earth and Environmental Studies, University of Wollongong

The understanding of glacial age climates in terrestrial Australia is strongly focussed on the SE corner of the continent. Geomorphic evidence from rivers has provided valuable evidence of glacial-age environments because it yields rare evidence of runoff, and is relatively abundant in Australia’s sedimentary basins west of the Great Dividing Range.  A long-standing conundrum for the last glacial period between approx. 25,000 and 19,000 years ago is the coexistence of large rivers with high sediment loads with regional indicators of aridity from dune and lake-level records.  To date, vegetation histories and other records have not been able to clearly distinguish between the effects of aridity and extreme cold on the discharge regimes of rivers in SE Australia.  Quantitative estimates of runoff for the last glacial maximum have not yet been attempted.

This project involves geomorphological and chrono-stratigraphic investigations of fluvial landforms at the base of the Great Dividing Range and key sites on the inland riverine plains of SE Australia.  It will include the remote mapping and field investigations of terraces and other fluvial landforms in an upland catchment at the base of the Great Dividing Range, and reconstructions of buried, glacial-age channels on the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee Rivers.  The aim of the project is to develop quantitative estimates of upland runoff during Marine Isotope Stage 2 including the last glacial maximum.  It will also examine fluvial response to the inferred development of treeless, periglaciated conditions in highland catchments during the last major cold episode in Australia.  Interest and/or experience in geochronological, geophysical and or sedimentological techniques is an advantage.

The project is available to start from June 2011. Please contact Dr Tim Cohen (tcohen at uow.edu.au<mailto:tcohen at uow.edu.au>) or Dr Justine Kemp (Justine.Kemp at northumbria.ac.uk<mailto:Justine.Kemp at northumbria.ac.uk>) for more information.



These PhD studentships are attached to a recently funded ARC Discovery project on ”The last glaciations maximum climate conundrum and environmental  response of the Australian continent to altered climate states”.  The successful candidates will be working as a part of a large integrative, international team.

The students will be expected to secure an Australian APA scholarship (2010 value AUS$22,500 per annum + extras, tax free - open to Australian or New Zealand citizens) or equivalent UQ or U. Wollongong scholarship (open to international candidates). A top up scholarship to an APAI scholarship valued at $4777 per annum will be provided from this project in each case. All field and laboratory costs are covered. In addition there is support from the host university to assist students to conferences.



James Shulmeister PhD
Professor and Head of School,
Geography, Planning and Environmental Management,
University of Queensland,
St Lucia 4072


T + 61 7 3346 7010
F + 61 7 3365 6899
E james.shulmeister at uq.edu.au<mailto:james.shulmeister at uq.edu.au>
W www.gpem.uq.edu.au<http://www.gpem.uq.edu.au>