Postdoc in glacier Geophysics

The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) is a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and funded by federal and state government. AWI focuses on polar and marine research in a variety of disciplines such as biology, oceanography, geology, geochemistry and geophysics thus allowing multidisciplinary approaches to scientific goals.
- Postdoc in "Glacier Geophysics" (M/F/d)

**Background**
This postdoctoral position is part of the
**European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant** (project n. 101076793)
**PHAST: "A physics-based study of Ice Stream Dynamics"** led by Prof. Dr. Elisa Mantelli, and jointly hosted by the Alfred Wegener Institute and the Dept. of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität (LMU) Munich.

The goal of the project is to unravel the physical processes that drive the spatial and temporal dynamics of ice streams, with a strong emphasis on the physics responsible for the onset of basal sliding. Drawing on a combination of novel glaciological observations, first-principle theoretical work, and ice-sheet-wide numerical simulations, PHAST will generate new mathematical models and process-level understanding of ice stream dynamics, which ultimately aims to unravel the complex interplay between internal ice sheet dynamics and climate over timescales ranging from decades to millennia.

**Project Description**:
The observational strand of PHAST aims to address the question of "How does basal sliding first start?" from an observational angle through an innovative, multi-year field study on a glacier in the European Alps that is known to experience a transition from basal no slip to basal sliding. We are looking for a postdoctoral scholar with experience in glacier geophysics who will help us build-up and shape this field program, collect observations, and perform their analysis and interpretation.

The field program consists of an extended geophysical survey (yr 1) aimed at characterizing the geometry, the englacial thermal structure (e.g., with - but not limited to
- a multi-frequency ground penetrating radar survey), and surface velocity (with terrestrial radar interferometry and GPS) of the Grenzgletscher (Swiss Alps). This glacier is of interest for PHAST because it is known to transition from frozen bed in the upper, high-elevation accumulation zone of the catchment, to temperate-bedded in the tongue area. Overall, the goal of the survey is to identify areas where englacial/basal warming occurs along with increasing surface velocities, as this is the signature of a basal thermal transition.

Informed by the results from the geophysical survey, we will select the most appropriate locations to drill a set of boreholes to the bed in the thermal transition zone. We will instrument the boreholes with tilt meters and temperature/pressure sensor, and use this information to characterize directly friction and sliding in the transition zone.

**Position Description**:
You bring to the project in-depth expertise in geophysical methods for glaciology (e.g., radar sounding, radar interferometry, passive seismics), including survey design, data acquisition, and data analysis. You also have an interest in the design/development of electronic instrumentation, and ideally also a background in electronics. You are willing to participate in glacier field expeditions in Switzerland, with 4-6 weeks duration max. You are motivated to work in an interdisciplinary team where observational scientists and modelers interact closely to tackle one of the longest standing open problems in glaciology.

**Tasks**
You will:

- Design and execute a geophysical survey of the glacier that aims to constrain its thermal structure and velocity field [yr 1]
- Analyze and interpret data from the geophysical survey to inform the glacier drilling campaign occurring in yr 2 [yr 1]
- Lead the development, construction, testing, and deployment of borehole instrumentation to measure tilt, pressure and temperature in hot-water-drilled glacier boreholes [yr 1 - yr 2]
- Manage interactions and work collaboratively with external collaborators that contribute to the field program [yr 1- yr 2]
- Organize, participate in (and possibly lead) the field expeditions [yr 1- yr 2]
- Write and submit 2 lead-author publications for peer reviewed journals [by end of appointment]

**Requirements**:

- PhD in geophysics, glaciology, or related fields
- Experience in geophysical fieldwork in glacial environments (radar, and/or seismics, and/or electronics for field instrumentation)
- Experience in the design of science-driven geophysical surveys
- Experience with the analysis and interpretation of geophysical observations
- Excellent track-record of publications in scientific journals (including as a lead author)
- Creativity and problem solving attitude
- Fluent in English, knowledge of German is an advantage

**Further Information**

Please contact
This is a full-time position, l