[Aqualist] Four PhD Scholarships in Eastren Australia in Fluvial Geomorphology and Hydrology

[Barrows, Timothy]

Four PhD scholarships available in Eastern Australia in fluvial geomorphology and hydrology.
As part of a multi-institutional University initiative to provide PhD training in fluvial geomorphology, we are offering 4 fully-funded PhD scholarships to undertake flood-related research in South-east Queensland. Project descriptions are outlined below with relevant contact details for the lead supervisors. Positions are located at the Australian Rivers Institute (ARI) Griffith University, Brisbane, (Queensland) and the Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University, Sydney (NSW). Students will have the opportunity to work amongst a large team of geomorphologists from Australia and overseas, together with industry personnel and agencies in Queensland.
Students will receive a scholarship of $28,000 p.a, and operating funds to cover field work, travel and conference attendance.
Applications Close: 8th October 2012 for commencement in January 2013.
International Students welcome to apply.
How to Apply: Please contact the relevant supervisor via email in the first instance with a brief statement of your research background and interests. Full details on application submission will be provided by the relevant administering University.
General Enquires: Please contact Jacky Croke  J.Croke at griffith.edu.au<mailto:J.Croke at griffith.edu.au>
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Project Descriptions
PhD Project 1. Reconstructing a 1000 year record of flood frequency in South-East Queensland using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of alluvial flood deposits and palaeostage indicators.
Based at: Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Brisbane.
Contact: A/Prof Jacky Croke Email: J.Croke at griffith.edu.au<mailto:J.Croke at griffith.edu.au>
The urgency to understand and predict the magnitude and timing of floods in Eastern Australia reached a critical point following the widespread floods across large parts of Queensland, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria in January 2011. Twenty-two lives were lost in the Lockyer Creek floods in Southeast Queensland (SEQ) in the summer of 2011. The predicted recurrence interval for this event in the upper catchment was 1 in 1000 yrs. Flood predictions in these systems are, however, based on a relatively short river discharge records (median 38 yrs in all basins east of the Dividing Range). River discharge records are too short to determine the likely recurrence intervals of these extreme flood events with any certainty. Significant advances in the dating technology, notably the routine use of OSL to date single grains of fluvially-transported quartz, means that we are now well placed to make a significant break-through in this area of flood reconstruction and geomorphic response. This study will reconstruct a timeline of major flood events in the Lockyer Catchment and the Mary-Burnett catchments using the dating of alluvial deposits in bedrock and alluvial river settings.
Desired Skills: First Class or High 2:1 Undergraduate degree in geomorphology, physical geography, hydrology or related earth science disciplines. Some experience in field work, laboratory analyses, and hydraulic modelling is desired but not essential. No previous experience in OSL dating is required.
PhD Project 2: A 1000 yr record of rainfall for the SE Queensland region using proxy data.
Based at:  Griffith University, Nathan Campus.
Contact: Prof Jon Olley  Email: J.Olley at griffith.edu.au<mailto:J.Olley at griffith.edu.au>
The effect of ENSO on Australian rainfall variability is now well established, mostly through the influence of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the surrounding oceans. On the east coast of Australia, for example, it has been shown that decadal-scale rainfall variability exists and that this variability can affect channel morphology and erosion. Over the millennial timescale, multiple lines of evidence are required to provide accurate timeframes for climate variability and its likely causes. The longest historical rainfall and river flow data records in the region extend back to about 1870 and 1910 respectively. Therefore, to examine the relationship between the flood chronologies and key climate indices the rainfall record needs to be extended using proxy records such as tree rings, changes in lake levels, fluvial deposits, and marine deposits. This PhD study will investigate the use of various proxy records to determine past variations in rainfall and develop a record of variations over the past 1000 years.
Desired Skills: First Class or High 2:1 Undergraduate degree in geomorphology, physical geography, hydrology or related earth science disciplines. Some experience in field work, laboratory analyses, and vegetation dynamics is desirable but not essential.
PhD Project 3: Geomorphic assessment of river response to a catastrophic flood along the Lockyer Valley, SE Queensland: Determining the geomorphic effectiveness of this event and thresholds of concern for future forecasting.
Based at: Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
Contact: Dr Kirstie Fryirs Email: kirstie.fryirs at mq.edu.au<mailto:kirstie.fryirs at mq.edu.au>
Given Australia's high flood variability, it is essential to understand channel and floodplain dynamics and how they respond to multiple forcing functions. Determining the exact type of adjustment and its secondary consequences (i.e. response gradients) can be difficult when catastrophic floods and geomorphic thresholds are crossed. Detailed and systematic studies of channel and floodplain adjustment to floods are therefore essential. For example, in spite of the havoc created by the 2011 floods in the Lockyer Valley, SE Queensland, they were only the 9th highest floods recorded since the 1840s. To date, there has been no coordinated effort to document the nature of channel and floodplain adjustment during these past flood events. The aim of this project is to systematically analyse the nature of channel adjustment during both historic and the more recent flood events. Analyses of geomorphic effectiveness and thresholds of adjustment will inform forecasting about future flood impacts under climate change. This project will be framed around analysis of historical records, field analyses in SE Queensland and modelling.
Desired Skills: First Class or High 2:1 Undergraduate degree in geomorphology, physical geography, hydrology or related earth science disciplines. Some experience in field work, laboratory analyses, and GIS is desirable but not essential.
PhD Project 4. Modelling landscape responses to extreme events: field and numerical assessment of the Lockyer valley floods.
Based at:  Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Brisbane.
Contact:  Dr Christopher Thompson Email: Christopher.thompson at anu.edu.au<mailto:Christopher.thompson at anu.edu.au>
The widespread occurrence of floods in the summer of 2011 highlighted key gaps in the existing hydrological data sets and our current understanding of river response and adjustment to this variable climate regime.  The dearth of long-term gauging station data and the predicted persistence of a climate pattern dominated by large-scale stochastic events, therefore, throws up new challenges to existing theories on flood inundation, sediment transport and river response during flood events.
This project seeks to further develop and/or parameterise a landscape evolution model such as SIBERIA, CHILD or CAESAR to study river evolution and geomorphic responses such as channel avulsion and the potential risk to rural and urban property in the catchment. The project requires collaborative work with other researchers investigating the local long-term climate record from estuarine cores and floodplain sedimentology and geomorphic responses to develop model inputs, boundary conditions and functions for geomorphic change to set up the model. The Lockyer catchment in SE Qld will be used for developing and testing the model before applying it to other southeast Queensland catchments.
Desired Skills: First Class or High 2:1 Undergraduate degree in geomorphology, physical geography, hydrology or related disciplines. Some experience in landscape evolution modelling, program coding, and management of large data sets is desirable but not essential.