Please forward this email to whom it may interest.
Thanks.
Zhengxi Tan, Ph.D.
SAIC, USGS Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS)
47914 252nd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57198
Phone: (605)594-6903
Fax: (605)594-6529
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
USGS Mendenhall Postdoctoral Position
We seek a highly qualified post-doctoral scientist (Mendenhall Fellow) to
do original research on how changes in fire frequency and altered climate
act together to influence permafrost thawing, emissions of greenhouse
gases, alteration of discharge pathways of surface water, etc. The policy
implications of the research will be identified in terms of wildfire
impacts on ecosystem services (i.e., the transformation of a set of
natural assets into human benefits), including the potential disruption of
native subsistence cultures.
We hypothesize that the amount of carbon release from fires depends upon
land cover type, burn severity, ground wetness, and the thickness and
carbon density of the pre-fire organic matter layer. We will use data from
multiple spatial and temporal scales to test this hypothesis and estimate
the carbon release from wildfires. Historical wildfire records,
reconstructed land cover history, soil, and permafrost data will be
integrated into the General Ensemble biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS)
and the Erosion-Deposition Carbon Model (EDCM).
The postdoctoral scientist will be a part of the Yukon River Basin
project, a major new activity of the USGS which integrates numerous
agencies with an international component and which supports the
International Polar Year (IPY). Results from this research will be used to
assess the impacts of land surface disturbance and climate change at local
to regional scales. This will assist policymakers and land managers to
gauge the sensitivity of particular ecosystems and Alaskan communities to
wildfires. This will also improve scientific understanding of feedbacks to
climatic change.
Mendenhall Fellows are appointed to the USGS for two years and receive
full salary and benefits at the GS-12 level. The 2006 base salary for a
GS-12 is $62,291. The appropriate personnel office can provide the exact
salary for other areas. Appointments will begin between October 2007 and
March 2008, depending on availability of funds.
Application Closing Date: November 15, 2006.
Proposed Duty Station: Sioux Falls, SD
Qualifications: A Ph.D. in an ecological or natural science with a strong
biogeochemical modeling capability is essential. Familiarity with remote
sensing and geographic information systems is desired. In order to be
considered for these opportunities, candidates must:
1. have successfully completed a Ph.D. in an area described in the
Research Opportunity. The Ph.D. degree requirements must have been met no
earlier than November 15, 2001, and must be completed by the time
employment starts (no later than March 2008);
2. meet the qualification requirements described in the Research
Opportunity at http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/2008/research.html.
How to Apply: please check http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/.
Research advisor contact: Larry L. Tieszen, (605) 594-6056,
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; or Zhengxi Tan, (605) 594-6903, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Personnel Office contact: Kathleen Scheich, (303) 236-9581,
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(This type of research is performed by those who have backgrounds for the
occupations stated above. However, other titles may be applicable
depending on the applicant's background, education, and research proposal.
The final classification of the position will be made by the Personnel
specialist.)
