NERC Funded PhD Scholarship: Global Deformation at Tidal Timescales, School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

NERC Funded PhD Studentship: Global Deformation at Tidal Timescales

Geomatics Research Group, School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences,University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

A 3 year NERC funded PhD studentship is available from September2005, to carry out research within the Geomatics Research Group underthe supervision of Dr Peter Clarke and Dr Nigel Penna.

Applications are invited immediately for the studentship, which will remainopen until filled (but not later than August 2006).

This studentship will focus on the determination of the Earth'sanelasticity at a range of timescales. It will research whether currentassumptions of the anelastic behaviour of the solid Earth, are valid attidal periods and to what extent must they be modified in the light ofnew, denser global geodetic observations, provided by receivers of theGlobal PositioningSystem (GPS) of navigation satellites.

The GPS observations will be used to measure the periodic tidaldisplacement of the solid Earth which arises from the gravitationalattractions ofthe Moon and Sun, but is also dependent on the Earth's elastic andanelastic properties.

The project will be largely computer (Unix) based using NASA's GIPSYGPS processing software, and will provide the candidate with a strongresearch training in geodesy, Earth science and the management of largedatasets. The student will be part of a Newcastle-based teamcollaborating with the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory and theUniversidade do Porto.

Candidates should possess (or about to obtain) at least an uppersecond class honours degree in a relevant numerate discipline(geomatics/surveying, Earth/environmental science,mathematics/physics, civil engineering, physical geography).

Training will be provided in thenecessary geodesy / geophysics / computing concepts, depending on the candidate'sbackground.

Formal applications should be made through the standard University application procedure on http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/

For candidates satisfying UK residential requirements, the studentship covers full universitytuition fees and provides a maintenance grant at standard NERC rates - currently £12,000 peryear.

Applicants from other EU countries may be eligible for a fees-only award.

Further details about the Geomatics Research Group and the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences may be obtained on http://www.ceg.ncl.ac.uk/research/resgeomatics.htm and http://www.ceg.ncl.ac.uk respectively.

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made as soon as possible toDr Nigel Penna (tel: +44 (0) 191 222 8747).

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