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This fully funded PhD project is part of the QUARTILES Doctoral Landscape Award, a BBSRC and NERC-funded research and training programme designed to equip PhD students with the skills, expertise, outlook, and real-world experience needed to become the next generation of scientific leaders capable of addressing pressing environmental grand challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability.
Glaciers are sentinels of climate change, responding to climate forcing by forming, retreating, advancing or disappearing, as present-day trends demonstrate far too well. As glaciers dynamically respond to changes in temperature and precipitation, they represent an ideal proxy to study past climate1. The dynamics of past glaciations, when climate boundary conditions were different from the present, can be used to test hindcast model outputs1, which aids the improvement of predictive climate modelling and to contextualize the potential impacts of present-day climate change where atmospheric circulation patterns may change in response to ongoing forcing.
During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ca. 26.5 to 19 ka BP), there were many glaciers in the pan-Mediterranean mountains ELAs and associated climate reconstructions have been successfully undertaken. However, the Apennines, a mountain range that spans eight degrees of latitude, reaching as far south as 38°N, has received limited attention, and presents an opportunity to constrain the configuration of the atmospheric circulation. The extent and chronology of the LGM glaciation remains a fundamental gap required to fully understand the palaeoclimate of the region. Many moraines have previously been identified, but mostly remain undated due to the dominance of carbonate bedrock, hindering any robust palaeoclimatological study2. This project will utilise alternative approaches to constrain the timing of moraine building periods, and will apply well established, robust methods of palaeoglacier-palaeoclimate reconstruction to provide a much-needed perspective on the climate at the LGM in Apennines and wider region.
Initially, the successful applicant will undertake a literature review. Mapping will be undertaken using satellite imagery to identify a suite of candidate moraine systems, most likely linked to the LGM. The mapping will be ground-truthed in the field where sampling will target glacial sediments, soils and lacustrine deposits developed on or near (bracketing) the moraines. It is anticipated that the project will entail at least two substantive field campaigns in the first two years. Dating will then be achieved using the identification of tephra and cryptotephra layers3. In this region these will largely have originated from the many, proximal, explosive volcanoes that characterise this part of Europe. For each dated site, the glacier will be reconstructed and the palaeo-equilibrium line altitude (ELA)4 calculated5. In combination with palaeotemperature proxies, the palaeo-ELA will be “converted” into palaeoprecipitation. Outputs from the empirical reconstructions will be analysed in conjunction with regional climate model simulations6, to assess the likely storm tracks during the moraine building phases of the LGM and to contextualise the larger regional atmospheric circulation pattern1.
Research questions are: What was the extent of glaciation in the Apennines during the LGM?; Is this chronology in line with that of the Alps and Pyrenees (~22ka) or the Mediterranean (~26.5ka)?; Can a latitudinal gradient of local LGM ELAs, and hence palaeoprecipitation, be reconstructed and what can this tell us about cyclogenesis?
The expectation is for a final submission of PhD by paper. The PhD will sit within a wider ongoing effort involving the supervisors to improve our understanding of the glacial history of the Apennines. The successful applicant will receive training in all relevant skills (glaciology, GIS, tephra-chronology and palaeoclimate modelling and proxies) from the supervisory team. The student will interact with a wider group of collaborators from multiple institutions in Italy, who will bring local knowledge, logistical assistance for fieldwork, and provide regional expertise for interpretation of the results.
Informal enquiries are encouraged. For further project information please contact the lead project supervisor by selecting the first listed name at the top of this advert and sending your enquiry.
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ELIGIBILITY:
Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion is core to the QUARTILES Doctoral Landscape Award. We actively encourage applications from diverse career paths and backgrounds and across all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status, amongst other protected characteristics.
We also invite applications from those returning from a career break, industry or other roles. We typically require a minimum 2:1 in your first degree (or equivalent), but exceptions can be made where applicants can demonstrate excellence in alternative ways, including, but not limited to, performance in masters courses, professional placements, internships or employment – this will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and is dependent upon approval from the relevant host institution. We offer flexible study arrangements such as part-time study (minimum 50%), however this does depend on the nature of the project/research so will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
If you have any questions about your eligibility, please email us at quartiles-admissions@abdn.ac.uk
This 45 Month opportunity is open to UK and International students (The proportion of international students appointed to the QUARTILES DLA is capped at 30% by UKRI).
QUARTILES studentships include a tax-free UKRI doctoral stipend (estimated at £19,795 for the 2025/2026 academic year), plus a training grant of £9,000 to support data collection activities throughout the PhD.
QUARTILES does not provide funding to cover visa and associated healthcare surcharges for international students.
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