[iris-bulk] (Job) Mendenhall Postdoc Opportunity

[IRIS]

USGS Mendenhall Postdoc Opportunity: Observation and Analysis of  
Climate Processes Using Seismic Data from the Global Seismographic  
Network

Dear Colleagues,

We wish to draw your attention to the following 2-year USGS Mendenhall  
Postdoctoral Opportunity.  The principal work will be sponsored at  
USGS Golden in collaboration with USGS Albuquerque Seismological  
Laboratory, Scripps, and New Mexico Tech.

The global seismic “noise” field contains unique and valuable  
information about a variety of earth processes. Despite an initially  
random appearance, the broadband seismic noise field reveals  
information on Earth's internal structure, human activity (“cultural”  
noise”), and processes related to the oceans, cryosphere, and  
atmosphere. Recently renewed recognition of the richness of seismic  
background signals and previously undetected long-period transients  
have resulted in novel and significant observations relevant to  
climate related processes. These include long term and real-time ocean  
wave and storm intensity “microseism” patterns, glacier retreat and  
ice shelf breakup in Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska, interactions  
between storms, ocean swell, and the cryosphere, and seismicity caused  
by elastic rebound due to glacier retreat.

The focus of this Mendenhall research will be the critical examination  
of seismic signals arising from climate processes and the evaluation  
of possible changes through time. Working with experts in seismology,  
instrumentation and oceanography, the Mendenhall Fellow will focus on  
those aspects of the seismic “noise” wavefield most sensitive to  
climate related processes. We seek candidates to develop innovative  
techniques for investigating the source phenomenology and history of  
global microseisms in unprecedented detail and at new levels of  
spatial and temporal resolution. Research may include the unique  
aspects of microseisms in Arctic and Antarctic regions, and additional  
seismic signals related to glaciological processes and sea ice  
variability.

Results will be analyzed and interpreted in climatological,  
oceanographic, and meteorological context. Data to be analyzed will  
include the accruing continuous record of the Global Seismographic  
Network (GSN) in conjunction with earlier data stretching back to the  
1960’s and before, currently being digitized using USGS resources.  
Other data sets of opportunity may include those of the U.S. Advanced  
National Seismic System (ANSS) and EarthScope USArray.

Climate change is the subject of intensive worldwide multidisciplinary  
research. The long recording history of the GSN and related networks  
provides a unique window into climate studies that potentially extends  
back to the early 20th century. Research conducted during this  
postdoctoral opportunity is expected to contribute new results to  
ongoing projects in the USGS Program in Global Change (http://www.usgs.gov/global_change/ 
), with the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (http://www.climatescience.gov/ 
), and with results from studies conducted during the International  
Polar Year (http://www.ipy.org/)

For full details please see:  http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/2010/opps/opp12.html

Please note that the application deadline is November 12.  The most  
critical component of the application will be a research proposal on  
which the proposed advisors are strongly encouraged to coordinate  
closely with the applicant.  We strongly invite interested researchers  
to contact us.

Best Regards (for the advisor group),
Rick Aster

Advisors:
Richard Aster (New Mexico Tech), (575) 835-5924, aster at ees.nmt.edu
Daniel McNamara, (303) 273-8550, mcnamara at usgs.gov
Charles Hutt, (505) 846-5649, bhutt at usgs.gov
Lind Gee, (505) 853-8887, lgee at usgs.gov
Shad O’Neel, (907) 786-7088, soneel at usgs.gov
Peter Bromirski (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of  
California, San Diego), (858) 822-0552, pbromirski at ucsd.edu


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