Fully-funded PhD studentship:Effects of climate change on soil emissions of ammonia and nitric oxide

Fully-funded PhD studentship: Effects of climate change on soil emissions of ammonia and nitric oxide

Fully funded for those qualifying for UK/EU PhD fees only

Supervisors:

Dr Mat Heal, School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh (m.heal@ed.ac.uk)

Prof Mark Sutton, NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (ms@ceh.ac.uk)

Dr Ute Skiba, NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (ums@ceh.ac.uk)

The studentship is funded 50% by the University of Edinburgh, 25% by CEH(www.ceh.ac.uk) and 25% by the EU ECLAIRE project (www.eclaire-fp7.eu).This project is collaborative with CEH and the EU ECLAIRE project (Effects of climatechange on air pollution impacts and responses in European ecosystems). It reflects anemerging challenge that suggests that soil and leaf litter ammonia (NH3) and nitric oxide(NO) emissions – both important sources of reactive N to the atmosphere – will increasesubstantially under climate change (potentially by >50% to 2100). Atmospheric reactive Nhas multiple influences including on ozone and particle generation, and on eutrophic andacidic deposition. The central challenge is to further develop a global and Europeanecosystem model (using the Landscape DNDC (Denitrification-Decomposition) model, incollaboration with Prof. Klaus Butterbach Bahl at IMK, Germany) to incorporate the couplingof soil processes to NH3 and NO emissions, providing input to the EMEP atmospherictransport and chemistry model. Analysis of existing field and laboratory measurements by thestudent will inform their model development, while guiding targeted new measurements ofNH3 and NO fluxes using existing facilities available at CEH and within the ECLAIREnetwork.The majority of the studentship will likely be based at CEH Edinburgh, a few km south of theUniversity of Edinburgh science and engineering campus (accessible by bus routes), but thestudent will be part of the School of Chemistry graduate organisation and have full access toChemistry office space and facilities. Both institutions have high quality graduate trainingprogrammes for generic and specific skills training and career development. There will beclose interactions with the ECLAIRE network and the student will be expected to presenttheir results at national and international meetings and to publish their work in the scientificliterature.Whilst the project is primarily modelling in nature, someone with all-round interest inengaging also with measurements is sought. You should have, or be expecting to achieve, afirst or upper second class Honours degree, or equivalent, in a relevant quantitative sciencesubject.Please address informal enquiries to any of the supervisors above. For the formal applicationprocedure see: www.chem.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate_research/apply.html . Whilst there is currently no closing date, the position may be filled at any time so early discussion isadvised.