IMPRS for Global Biogeochemical Cycles PhD project Atmospheric biogeochemical trace gases over SW Africa

Supervisor: Dr. Jost V. Lavric Co-supervisors: Prof. Dr. Martin Heimann

Project description High precision ground-based continuous atmospheric measurements of bio-geochemical trace gases are a cornerstone for research on atmospheric trans-port, biogeochemical fluxes, and human emissions. They complement other types of atmospheric measurements such as ground- and space-based remote sensing and airborne measurements. They record the inter-annual and inter-decadal variability of the atmosphere, and capture less frequent events and the ecosystem’s response to them.!The Benguela Current system off Namibian coast is driving one of the four ma-jor eastern-boundary upwelling ecosystems. Oceanic upwelling creates zones of intensive primary production and influences the atmospheric budgets of oxy-gen and trace gases via the air-sea exchange. Additionally, the southern part of the African continent is subject to intensive emissions from biomass burning. !In 2012, we constructed the Namib Desert Atmospheric Observatory (NDAO) at Gobabeb, Namibia (23.56°S 15.04°E) for continuous measurement of oxygen and biogeochemical trace gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon monoxide).!The candidate will acquire knowledge on high precision atmospheric measure-ment techniques and be responsible for the functioning of the observatory and the data quality. S/he will study fluxes of greenhouse and other gases on the southern subtropical African continent, and the air-sea gas fluxes of the nearby Benguela upwelling system and interpret the data in a local and global context with the help of atmospheric transport and inversion modelling.

Working group & planned collaborations The successful candidate will integrate the Tall Tower Atmospheric Gas Mea-surements group in the MPI-BGC Department of Biogeochemical Systems (BSY). Collaborations are possible at department and institute level. Some of the external partners are GEOMAR (Germany), the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre (Namibia), and the GAW Cape Point Atmospheric Observatory (South Africa).

The Research School The successful candidate will become a member of the International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles (IMPRS-gBGC). The school provides excellent research possibilities for students to obtain a PhD degree in a 3-years graduate program.

The elements key to life such as carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen are continuously exchanged among the land, ocean and atmosphere in what are known as global biogeochemical cycles. Research in the IMPRS-gBGC discov-ers how these cycles function, how they are interconnected, and how they can change with climate or human activity.

coordinator: Steffi Rothhardt !Hans-Knöll-Str. 10 07745 Jena Germany !+49 3641 576260 www.imprs-gbgc.de www.facebook.com/imprs.gbgc imprs-gbgc@bgc-jena.mpg.de

coordinator: Steffi Rothhardt !Hans-Knöll-Str. 10 07745 Jena Germany !+49 3641 576260 www.imprs-gbgc.de www.facebook.com/imprs.gbgc imprs-gbgc@bgc-jena.mpg.de

In their thesis projects, students deal with various crucial aspects of global bio-geochemical cycles and participate in ongoing research comprising field obser-vations, method development, experiments, and modeling. Students will also benefit from a three-month external research visit, specialised courses in e.g. statistics, Earth observation, modelling and analytical techniques, as well as in soft skills and will have ample opportunity to develop their personal career net-works. The school is thus an excellent starting platform for a successful career in a field related to global biogeochemical cycles and Earth System Science.

Requirements Applications to the IMPRS-gBGC are open to well-motivated and highly-quali-fied students from all countries. Prerequisites for this PhD project are:

‣ a Master’s degree in physics, bio(geo)chemistry or other disciplines related to environmental sciences!

‣ Experimental and technical skills!‣ Experience in handling large data sets!!‣ Experience in scientific programming !‣ Interest in field work at remote locations!‣ Excellent oral and written communication skills in English!

How to apply Application deadline for these fully funded PhD positions is February 19, 2015. Top candidates will be invited to take part in our selection symposium (April 21-22, 2015).

>> Apply online: www.imprs-gbgc.de

After you have been selected The IMPRS-gBGC office will happily assist you with your transition to Jena. Successful applicants are expected to join us in summer 2015 and will be of-fered financial support of 1365 Euros/month to cover their living expenses plus a monthly lump sum of 103 Euros and additional support for health insurance. There are no tuition fees.Handicapped persons with comparable qualifications receive preferential sta-tus. The Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the num-ber of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages ap-plications from such qualified individuals.

NDAO – view of the mea-surement container and the 21 m-tall mast (photo: Sep-tember 2012).

NDAO is located next to Gobabeb, at the contact of gravel plains and sand dunes, about 50 km from the coast (photo: July 2013).