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Ph.D. OPPORTUNITY AT THE NATIONAL WATER RESEARCH INSTITIUTE, SASKATOON,
CANADA

The National Water Research Institute of Environment Canada invites
applications for an immediate opening for a  Ph.D. Graduate Research
Assistantship.  The assistantship will provide financial support for up to
three years, and will be held in conjunction with the Department of
Geological Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

Project: Stable isotopic (18O/16O) assessment of dissolved oxygen cycling
and status in northern boreal rivers

The dissolved oxygen (DO) project is part of an Environment Canada flagship
program (Northern River Ecosystem Initiative) to assess and improve our
scientific basis for federal dissolved oxygen regulatory guidelines in
Canada.  More specifically, as a subcomponent of the overall DO project, the
goal of the Ph.D. project will be to utilize 18O/16O analyses of dissolved
O2 to gain an improved understanding of the processes that impact riverine
DO status including; water column and sediment respiration, re-aeration,
photosynthesis, and groundwater dilution, under both open water and
extensive ice covered conditions. The effects of pulp and paper and
municipal waste effluents on riverine DO status are of particular interest,
and will comprise a key component of the research. The river systems to be
studied in the project include the Athabasca, Lesser Slave, and North
Saskatchewan Rivers and selected tributaries, as well as controlled field
and laboratory effluent impact experiments.

The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic and motivated individual
with demonstrated academic, analytical and field project design skills, as
well as interpersonal skills to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary
research project. An MSc or experience in stable isotope chemistry is
considered an asset. The candidate is also expected to contribute to
Departmental reports and presentations in addition to University graduate
program requirements. The candidate will have access to Institute field,
laboratory, and the stable isotope facilities, and will utilize in-house
methodology for continuous-flow IRMS dissolved O2 isotope measurements (see
literature below).

To apply for this position, send a cover letter, a detailed CV, a 1 page
statement of research interests, and three work-related references to:

Dr. Leonard Wassenaar
National Water Research Institute
Environment Canada
11 Innovation Blvd.
Saskatoon, SK, Canada
S7N 3H5
Tel: (306) 975-5747
Fax: (306) 975-5143
email:  [log in to unmask]

Application Deadline:  February 29, 2000.

Short-listed candidates may be requested to provide additional information.
The successful candidate must be accepted into the graduate program in the
Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan
beginning in the fall 2000 session. Proficiency in the English language and
a valid drivers license are also required. Additional financial support may
be available through a Department of Geological Sciences teaching
assistantship or scholarship.


Selected Literature:

Quay, P. D.; Wilbur, D. O.; Richey, J. E.; Devol, A. H., 1995,  The 18O:16O
of dissolved oxygen in rivers and the lakes in the Amazon Basin: Determining
the ratio of respiration to photosynthesis rates in freshwater. Limnology
and Oceanography 1995, 40, 718-729

Wassenaar L.I., and  Koehler, G., 1999. An On-Line Technique for the
Determination of the 18O and 17O of Gaseous and Dissolved Oxygen. Analytical
Chemistry 71(21): 4965-4968.


For information on University of Saskatchewan graduate school admissions
see:

http://www.usask.ca/cgsr/

For more information on the National Water Research Institute (Saskatoon)
see:

http://www.cciw.ca/nwri/aeib/cumul-env-impacts.html



Dr. Leonard I. Wassenaar
Stable Isotope Hydrology and Ecology Laboratory
National Water Research Institute
Environment Canada
11 Innovation Blvd.
Saskatoon, SK
Canada  S7N 3H5
tel: (306) 975-5747
fax: (306) 975-5143
email: [log in to unmask]