Dr F Espirito-Santo, Dr P Young
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
About the Project
Satellite remote sensing data linked with computer models of the Earth system are becoming progressively more complex, but they do not generally include human behaviours or natural process such as droughts. For example, all mainstream land-use projections follow predetermined emissions pathways and do not account for the fact that forests will respond to the changing environment. In this PhD project, you will address this critical omission.
This project will quantify and predict tropical forest fires by combining remote sensing and climate modelling with control theory and risk modelling, in particular investigating how the reliability of large-scale climate models or data could improve future scenarios tropical forest fire emissions. This will involve incorporating well-established methods and algorithms from generalized linear models, classification trees, generalized additive models and random forest models to predict regional scales of tropical forest fires using climate models or remote sensing products.
Further Information: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sci-tech/downloads/phd_253.pdf
Academic Requirements: First-class or 2.1 (Hons) degree, or Masters degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate subject.
Deadline for applications: 14 February 2016
Provisional Interview Date: [tbc] Week Beginning 29 February 2016
Start Date: October 2016
Application process: Please upload a completed application form (download from http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/lec/pg/LEC_Funded_PhD_Application_Form.docx) outlining your background and suitability for this project and a CV at LEC Postgraduate Research Applications, http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgresearch/apply-online.
You also require two references, please send the reference form (download from http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/lec/pg/LEC_Funded_PhD_Reference_Form.docx) to your two referees and ask them to email it to Andy Harrod ([Email Address Removed]), Postgraduate Research (PGR) Co-ordinator, Lancaster Environment Centre by the deadline.
Due to the limited time between the closing date and the interview date, it is essential that you ensure references are submitted by the closing date or as soon as possible.
Funding Notes
Full studentships (UK/EU tuition fees and stipend (£14,057 2015/16 [tax free])) for UK/EU students for 3.5 years or full studentships (International tuition fees and stipend (£14,057 2015/16 [tax free])) for International students for 3 years
References
(1) DeFries, R. S. et al. 2008. “Fire-Related Carbon Emissions from Land Use Transitions in Southern Amazonia.” Geophysical Research Letters 35(22):L22705.
(2) Fu, Rong et al. 2013. “Increased Dry-Season Length over Southern Amazonia in Recent Decades and Its Implication for Future Climate Projection.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
(3) Morton, D. C., Y. Le Page, R. DeFries, G. J. Collatz, and G. C. Hurtt. 2013. “Understorey Fire Frequency and the Fate of Burned Forests in Southern Amazonia.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 368(1619 ).
(4) Schroeder, W. et al. 2005. “Characterizing Vegetation Fire Dynamics in Brazil through Multisatellite Data: Common Trends and Practical Issues.” Earth Interactions 9(13):1–26.
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