There are three opportunities for PhD studentships in the Palaeoecology Lab
at Southampton for 1999 - 2002. They are:

1. Holocene climate change in Cumbria - a combined bog and lake approach.

2. The palaeoecology of recent human impact in the Lake District.

3. Testing models of mire development in large floodplain mire
       complexes using a palaeoecological and palaeohydrological
                      approach.

The full text of no. 1 is below - visit our website for further details at
http://www.soton.ac.uk/~gsgeog/epcmain.html

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON
  PALAEOECOLOGY LABORATORY, GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT

RESEARCH STUDENTSHIP in QUATERNARY ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Holocene climate change in Cumbria - a combined bog and lake approach.

Supervisor: Dr Keith Barber (Ref.KEB99a)

Applications are invited for the above PhD studentship. This is one of
several topics that may be funded by a NERC award or part-funded by a
Departmental Scholarship. 

Peat bogs contain a unique and detailed terrestrial record of climatic
change and biodiversity and the Palaeoecology Laboratory at the University
of Southampton (PLUS) is an international leader in the derivation of these
records, in replicating them within and between sites and in correlating
the records between distant sites. However, it is still not clear how much
of the peat-based proxy-climate record - the surface wetness
reconstructions derived from plant macrofossil, humification and testate
amoebae analyses - is forced by changes in temperature and how much by
changes in precipitation. This project derives from the NERC TIGGER IIa
programme, which involved analyses from a montane bog, Moine Mhor, and a
corrie lake, Lochan Uaine, in the Cairngorms. Moine Mhor produced a
sensitive palaeoclimatic record which could be correlated with that derived
from a lowland raised bog, Fallahogy in Ulster. Analysis of long
documentary climate records suggested the hypothesis that the temperature
signal is more coherent and is dominant over the spatially and temporally
incoherent precipitation signal. This project will critically test this
hypothesis through the analysis of bog peats and lake sediments from sites
in Cumbria, in particular by taking advantage of the numerous sites in the
Lake District. 

The temperature record from Lochan Uaine was derived from analyses of
chironomid (non-biting midges) head capsules, which are abundant in lake
sediments and can be identified to specific taxa which have different
temperature ranges. Chironomid reconstructions of temperature have worked
well in lowland areas from the Lateglacial and the next logical step is to
use this technique on the late Holocene record. By comparing proxy
temperature records from lakes with effective precipitation records from
nearby peat bogs we may be able to answer the vital question - is the
proxy-climate record of raised bogs mainly driven by temperature or by
precipitation? The project will involve: (1) location of suitable sites
from existing databases and extensive fieldwork; (2) selection and coring
of undisturbed sites; (3) macrofossil, humification and testate amoebae
analyses of the peat cores; (4) chironomid analyses of the lake cores; (5)
AMS wiggle-match radiocarbon dating of critical horizons, and (6)
generation of proxy-climate curves by multivariate analyses followed by
climatic modelling. The student will join Southampton's Palaeoecology
Laboratory, which offers an excellent research environment with
high-quality Nikon microscopes, cameras, video printer, and two PCs for
data manipulation and diagram plotting. Two Astra estate cars are
maintained, as well as a full range of coring and other field equipment,
including two boats. There are presently three NERC palaeoecology
postgraduates, a Teaching Fellow (Dr Paul Hughes) and a Visiting Fellow (Dr
Rob Scaife), as well as a technician with special responsibility for the
Palaeoecology Laboratory. Full training in all necessary techniques will be
given. The last six palaeoecology postgraduates submitted successful theses
in just over three years.

Candidates must have or expect to gain a First or strong Upper Second class
degree, in Geography, Environmental Sciences, Biology, Geology or a related
subject. A recognised MSc degree in environmental or climatic change would
be an advantage.

Application forms are available from the Secretary of the Graduate School,
Geography Department, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, telephone 01703
594647 or 593260, fax 01703 593295, email [log in to unmask], and should be
returned by 30 April 1999. Informal enquiries may be made to Dr Keith
Barber (Tel. 01703 593215, email:[log in to unmask]).  For the latest
information on funding opportunities, please visit the Geography Department
Web site at http://www.soton.ac.uk/~geog/

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Dr Keith E. Barber			
Palaeoecology Laboratory		
Department of Geography		
University of Southampton		
SOUTHAMPTON SO17  1BJ
		
Telephone (direct)	01703-593215
Telephone (Lab)	01703-592226
Telephone (home)	01703-282931
Fax		01703-593295

E-mails: [log in to unmask] AND [log in to unmask]
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