Tectonic and climatic controls on Quaternary fluvial landscape development in NW Africa

Start date: 1 January 2017

Mode: 3 years, full time

This PhD will use river terraces to investigate the Quaternary climate change and tectonic uplift variability along the southern flanks of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

The High Atlas form the major topographic relief in NW Africa, formed via interaction of Cenozoic crustal shortening and mantle uplift. Relief generation has resulted in base-level lowering and fluvial incision onto which superimposed climate variability has resulted in river terrace development. The PhD will target several large river catchments that are routed across key components of the High Atlas and its bounding thrust front (South Atlas Fault). Remote sensing, field mapping-surveying-logging and geochronological work will allow river terraces to be used as stratigraphic markers to quantify along-strike and transverse to orogen variations in uplift rate. Integration of uplift results with published geological data will allow an exploration of whether High Atlas relief generation is a Quaternary or longer lived multi-stage Cenozoic phenomenon.

Sedimentary and geochronological analysis of river terraces will allow relationships between valley floor sedimentation and incision patterns to be explored and linked to Quaternary climatic changes. The sedimentology, stratigraphy and dating of terraces will allow changes in sediment supply and palaeohydrology over ~100ka glacial-interglacial climate cycles to be assessed. Analysis of river terrace staircases will explore whether terraces have formed in a regional and synchronous pattern over multiple climate cycles since at least the early-middle Pleistocene. The High Atlas lies in an important but unstudied transition zone between Mediterranean and Sahara Desert climate belts.

The PhD is an integrated field and laboratory based project in collaboration with Ibn Zohr University (Agadir, Morocco). Remote sensing will involve quantitative GIS landscape analysis using digital elevation model and satellite imagery. Fieldwork will involve GPS landform mapping, sedimentary facies analysis for palaeohydrological purposes and sampling for geochronological dating, undertaken over several 2-3 week field seasons. Laboratory work will involve several visits to UK-European laboratories for sample preparation and analysis training in optical luminescence / cosmogenic nuclide techniques.

Applicants should have (at least) a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject and preferably a relevant MSc or MRes qualification.

General information about stipends eligibility for a research degree is available at: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/your-studies/the-graduate-school/applicants-and-enquirers.

You can apply via the online application form which can be found at: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/postgraduate and select ‘Apply’.

Please mark it FAO Sharon Healy and clearly state that you are applying for a PhD studentship within the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Please attach a covering letter detailing your suitability for the studentship, a CV and two academic references.

For more information on the admissions process please contact Sharon Healy: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/sharon-healy

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 16 November 2016.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview on the 30 November 2016. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications. Applicants who have not received an offer of a place by 24 November 2016 should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.