Dr J Johnson, Prof G Parr, Dr Steven Johnston, Dr F Ferraccioli
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Project Rationale:
Primary hazards from earthquakes and volcanoes are of concern to those living nearby. However, these events often trigger a cascade of linked hazards that affect a much greater area. Ash from volcanic eruptions can impact air traffic, crops and livestock, and can even alter the climate. Large submarine earthquakes can trigger devastating tsunami. Therefore, even if the tectonically active areas are remote, these areas need to be closely monitored to mitigate risks and to further understand the way hazards are generated and evolve. Monitoring of remote regions poses many issues such as durability, maintenance, data storage and power (Martinez et al., 2006). As such, many areas that have the potential to cause widespread devastation are not geophysically monitored. This project will develop a unique geophysical monitoring station that records a suite of important geophysical data. In addition, the station will recognise signals of interest and transmit only this data back to headquarters, therefore reducing storage and power requirements. This station will increase the capability of studying and monitoring remote regions such as the Arctic and Antarctic, Africa, South America and the Himalayas.
Methodology:
The overall objective of this project is to fabricate a rugged geophysical monitoring station that can be deployed in extreme environmental conditions and transmit useful data. The student will examine existing geophysical monitoring networks, technology, and data to identify essential characteristics for the monitoring station. They will work with colleagues at UEA, BAS and UoS to formulate a specification, identify existing instruments and other hardware, and develop appropriate software for the station. The student will determine instruments to include such as a seismometer, GNSS, gravimeter and/or magnetometer.
Specific objectives for this PhD are:
• Develop software to automatically recognise (“trigger”) data of note.
• Identify and utilise appropriate power supply for the station.
• Identify and utilise an appropriate communication method for data transfer.
The product will be applicable to a range of tectonically active, remote settings. A pilot deployment will be determined by the student, and hence they will analyse the tectonic activity of a region for the first time, adding valuable data and knowledge to our hazard assessment of the area.
Requirements:
Degree in Engineering, Geophysics, Mathematics, or Physics
Training:
The NEXUSS CDT provides state-of-the-art, highly experiential training in the application and development of cutting-edge Smart and Autonomous Observing Systems for the environmental sciences, alongside comprehensive personal and professional development. There will be extensive opportunities for students to expand their multi-disciplinary outlook through interactions with a wide network of academic, research and industrial/government/policy partners. The student will be registered at University of East Anglia, and hosted at the School of Environmental Sciences. Specific training will include:
• Geophysical data handling
• Computer programming
• Geophysical equipment use
• Participation in geophysical research fieldwork
• Numerical modelling of geophysical processes
• Presentation of research at international conferences and workshops
Secondary supervisors: Professor Gerrard Parr (UEA), Dr Steven Johnston (Southampton), Dr Fausto Ferraccioli (British Antarctic Survey).
For further information, please visit www.enveast.ac.uk/nexuss
For more information on the supervisor for this project, please go here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/environmental-sciences/people/profile/jessica-johnson
Type of programme: PhD
Start date of project: October 2018
Mode of study: Full time or part time
Length of studentship: 3 years, 8 months
Acceptable first degree: Engineering, Geophysics, Mathematics, or Physics.
Minimum entry requirement: 2:1 or equivalent.
Funding Notes
Successful candidates who meet RCUK’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a NERC/EPSRC studentship - in 2017/18, the stipend is £14,553. In most cases, UK and EU nationals who have been resident in the UK for 3 years are eligible for a stipend. For non-UK EU-resident applicants NERC funding can be used to cover fees, RTSG and training costs, but not any part of the stipend. Individual institutes may, however, elect to provide a stipend from their own resources.
References
(i) Martinez, K., Padhy, P., Elsaify, A., Zou, G., Riddoch, A., Hart, J. K., & Ong, H. L. R. (2006, June). Deploying a sensor network in an extreme environment. In Sensor Networks, Ubiquitous, and Trustworthy Computing, 2006. IEEE International Conference on (Vol. 1, pp. 8-pp). IEEE.
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