PhD position on high altitude mountain precipitation

Do you want to contribute to a unique project investigating high-altitude snow and rainfall in Asia’s mountain ranges? Then this PhD position might be for you!

Your job
Mountains are the water towers of the world. They receive a disproportionately large amount of precipitation due to orographic lifting. The most important water towers are Asia’s mountain ranges, particularly the Himalaya, the Karakoram and the Pamir. These mountains contain the largest ice reserves beyond the polar regions and are therefore often collectively referred to as the Third Pole.

Here, mountain precipitation feeds glaciers and snowpacks, generating river flow that supplies major reservoirs and sustains millions of people downstream. Extreme mountain precipitation can also trigger floods, landslides, debris flows, and avalanches. Understanding the drivers and magnitude of mountain precipitation is essential for quantifying the mountain water cycle.

In the ERC Advanced project DROP, you will be part of a team investigating how mountains, land-surface feedback, and large-scale atmospheric circulation influence the distribution of mountain precipitation on the Third Pole.

In this PhD project, you will focus on high-altitude snow and rainfall patterns in two climatically contrasting catchments: one in the Himalayas and one in the Pamir mountain range. Using ice cores, snow observations, and a dense network of rain gauges, you will adopt a data-driven approach to understand spatial and temporal variations in precipitation. Your tasks will include organizing high-altitude research expeditions, conducting fieldwork in challenging conditions, and analyzing ice core and field-based data. Collaboration with another PhD candidate and a postdoc in the project will be crucial.

To support your academic and personal development, you will also follow courses and assist in teaching Earth Sciences at the Bachelor's and Master's levels. These activities will constitute twenty percent of your contracted time.

This project may be the right fit for you if you have:

• an MSc in meteorology, hydrology, civil engineering, geosciences, environmental science, or a related field;
• a passion for mountains and extreme environments, with the ability and willingness to conduct fieldwork in challenging conditions;
• strong quantitative skills, including knowledge of (spatial) data analysis and atmospheric and/or hydrological modelling;
• experience with programming languages (Python/R), preferably using spatial datasets;
• basic theoretical understanding of mountain meteorology;
• interest in interdisciplinary collaborations and motivation to work closely with a team;
• excellent English oral and scientific writing skills, and a willingness to learn Dutch.

We offer:

• a position for 1 year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 38 hours and a gross monthly salary between €2.770 and €3.539 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

The team of the Department of Physical Geography excels in research and education on BSc, MSc and PhD level. We research processes, patterns and dynamics of Earth’s systems from the mountains to the sea, and the interaction in between. This knowledge is essential for the sustainable management of our planet and to guarantee the availability of resources for the next generations. We are a lively department that hosts an active early career community (PhD-students, researchers and lecturers). We organise a warm welcome for every new member.

As Utrecht University, we want to be a home for everyone. We value staff with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and identities, including cultural, religious or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. We strive to create a safe and inclusive environment in which everyone can flourish and contribute.

To apply, please submit your curriculum vitae and a letter of motivation via the ‘apply now’ button. If you hold an international (non-Dutch) Master’s degree, please also provide your BSc and MSc diplomas and grade lists in English.

The interviews are on 14 October. The first round can be online via MS Teams. The preferred starting date is 1 January 2025.