Blowing in the wind. Tracing the transport of diatoms to Antarctic ice cores

Project overview 

The Westerly Winds are among the main drivers of climate variability in the Southern Hemisphere. This PhD will contribute to the development of a novel Antarctic ice core proxy for reconstructing past westerly wind changes. It involves determining the environmental conditions and mechanisms enabling the transport of particles to Antarctica. 

Project description 

The Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds are among the main drivers of recent environmental changes in Antarctica. The lack of instrumental long-term wind records prevents a thorough understanding of the impacts of changing winds over Antarctica. Recently, wind-blown diatoms preserved in Antarctic ice cores have been proposed as a proxy for reconstructing past changes in atmospheric circulation. This PhD project aims to determine the precise environmental conditions and mechanisms that enable winds to remove diatoms from surface waters, their atmospheric transport, and final deposition at Antarctic ice core sites. The PhD candidate will work on the analysis of an unparalleled set of diatom samples collected along a latitudinal transect from the Southern Ocean to the Antarctic ice sheet. These samples include Antarctic marine surface waters, marine aerosols, sea ice, and ice cores. Detailed control of atmospheric and oceanographic conditions when each sample was collected will enable the candidate to explore the environmental conditions and mechanisms favouring diatom removal, transport, and deposition. Determining the precise environmental conditions and mechanisms driving the diatom record variability will contribute to a better quantification of reconstructed parameters, ultimately increasing proxy robustness. A well-constrained proxy will allow us to extend our understanding of the impacts of changing winds on the Antarctic ice sheet into the pre-satellite era, providing critical insights for modelling future climate change scenarios. This PhD project complements a NERC-funded deep ice core drilling project and a Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme project, both led by the British Antarctic Survey. 

Training 

 Our programme provides comprehensive personal and professional development training alongside extensive opportunities for students to expand their multi-disciplinary outlook through interactions with a wide network of academic, research and industrial/policy partners. The student will be registered at the University of Southampton and hosted at the British Antarctic Survey, as well as the School of Geography and Environmental Science (U. Southampton). Specific training will include ice core analysis techniques (ice core drilling and ice core lab analyses (chemistry and microparticle analyses)); diatom sample preparation, diatom extraction and identification, data analysis and interpretation; use of climate reanalysis products; remote sensing techniques; Automatic Weather Station data analysis; writing and presentation skills. 

Entry requirements: 

A UK bachelor’s degree with upper second-class honours or higher in a relevant subject. See international equivalent qualifications on our website. English language: IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components. We accept other English language tests. 

How to apply 

Apply online here. Please enter the project title and lead supervisor’s name in Section 2 to state which project you would like to apply for. 

It is essential for overseas applicants to contact the lead supervisor to discuss the project before applying. 

Applications should include: 

• curriculum vitae giving details of your academic record and stating your research interests 
• name two current academic referees together with an institutional email addresses in the Reference section of the application form. On submission of your online application your referees will be automatically emailed requesting they send a reference to us directly by email. 
• your academic transcript and degree certificate (translated if not in English) - if you have completed both a BSc & an MSc, we require both. 
• IELTS/TOEFL certificate, if applicable. For more information, please see the University of Southampton's English Language Proficiency page. 

Please remember to include a short statement of your research interests and rationale for your choice of project(s) in the Personal Statement section of the application form. 

Please ensure that you provide all required documentation and information so that your application can be reviewed and processed.