Dear List Members I would be most grateful if you could forward this e-mail to any Undergraduate or MSc students who you think may be interested in undertaking either of the PhD studentships listed below. Many thanks Steve Applications are invited for two three year NERC funded PhD studentships at the University of Plymouth: 1. Quantifying river capture related fluvial incision and landsliding using in situ cosmogenic exposure dating 2. Evaluating controls on third order sea level change in late Jurassic-early Cretaceous The studentships attract a stipend of £12,600 per annum, plus University fees and appropriate research costs. Candidates should be a UK citizen and should have or are expected to receive a first degree (minimum 2.1) in Geography, Geology, Earth Sciences or related disciplines. Applications from candidates with a 2.2 degree and a masters qualification are also eligible. Application forms can be obtained from Ann Treeby (email: [log in to unmask] ) or http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pghowtoapply. Completed applications should be returned to the Faculty Research Administrator, Faculty of Science, Rm A504 Portland Square, Plymouth PL4 8AA by noon on the 11 April 2007. Informal enquiries about these PhD studentships should be directed to Dr Martin Stokes ([log in to unmask]) or Dr Gregory Price ([log in to unmask] ) 1. Quantifying river capture related fluvial incision and landsliding using in situ cosmogenic exposure dating Advisors: Dr Martin Stokes - School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth Professor James Griffiths - School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth Dr Christoph Schnabel - NERC Cosmogenic Isotope Analysis Facility, East Kilbride, Scotland The aim of this PhD studentship is to model spatial and temporal patterns of landscape erosion that occurs following a major, basin-scale (10's-100's km2) river capture event. This will be achieved through application of cosmogenic radionuclide exposure dating to river terrace and landslide landforms that form in relation to a capture-related wave of incision. The project will initially focus upon the well studied Aguas-Feos river capture event in the Sorbas Basin of SE Spain. Here, an existing landform chronology using OSL and U-Series dating can be tested and then expanded throughout the captured drainage network to model and quantify rates and magnitudes of capture-related fluvial incision and valley side destabilization. The project will then target a less well-known capture event associated with the Rio Jauto in the NE Sorbas Basin. This drainage is now a tributary to the Rio Aguas and was involved with a much earlier capture event. Its study will contribute significantly to understanding the regional long term fluvial system and landscape development. The project will comprise integrated fieldwork, laboratory and computer based terrain evaluation approaches for data collection and analyses, with training provided accordingly. Fieldwork in SE Spain will include mapping, surveying, sediment facies analysis, sediment provenance studies, soil profile descriptions and sampling for cosmogenic dating. The laboratory work, involving sample preparation and analyses using multiple cosmogenic radionuclides (10Be, 26Al, 36Cl) will be undertaken at the NERC cosmogenics facility at East Kilbride in Scotland. Collectively, all data will be compiled within a GIS database for terrain evaluation quantification of capture-related sediment erosion rates. 2. Evaluating controls on third order sea level change in late Jurassic-early Cretaceous Advisors: Dr Gregory Price - School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth Dr Stephen Grimes - School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth Dr Mike Simmons - Neftex Petroleum Consultants Ltd, Abingdon Global or eustatic sea-level changes are broadly controlled by the volume of water in the ocean basins and by the volume of the ocean basins. These mechanisms produce a characteristic range of sea level change. For example, 3rd order cycles have durations of ~0.5 to 5 m.y. They are too short to be attributed to tectonic events affecting the volume of the ocean basins. The stratigraphic record is, however, replete with 106 -year sea-level changes, which may be synchronous across continents within the resolution of biostratigraphy (e.g. Sharland et al. 2001). This observation is enormously powerful for the hydrocarbon industry allowing for confident correlation and palaeogeographic mapping of precise time units. The latest Jurassic - early Cretaceous rock record is characterised by a series of 106 -year sea level events. To date, no one has offered a satisfactory explanation for these high-amplitude, rapid, synchronous sea-level change, especially during greenhouse times. Our solution to this is to utilise multi-proxy data to evaluate the nature of climate and environmental change associated with late Jurassic - early Cretaceous sea level events leading to the development of an integrated sequence stratigraphy model. This CASE NERC PhD studentship will assess whether purported sea level curves for the late Jurassic - early Cretaceous are truly global in origin and will evaluate the nature of climate drivers of 106 - year scale sea-level change. The student will utilise a range of techniques including oxygen and carbon isotope stratigraphies to provide in concert with detailed sedimentary logging and evaluation of the micro and macro -palaeontology to be integrated within a sequence stratigraphic model and existing age-constrained geoscience datasets. A number of sites will be examined including section exposed in the Tunisian Dorsale. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dr. Stephen Grimes Lecturer in Stable Isotope Geochemistry & Climate Change School of Earth Ocean and Environmental Sciences University of Plymouth Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA Office: Room 120 Fitzroy Building Tel. +44 (0)1752 233109 Fax. +44 (0)1752 233117 e-mail. [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Web page. http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/dynamic.asp?page=staffdetails&id=sgrimes