DEEPICE PhD Students

15 Early Stage Researchers from all over the world are involved within the project DEEPICE. They are based in 10 different institutions, corresponding to 10 different countries.

Geunwoo Lee

I am Geunwoo Lee from South Korea. I studied environmental science and engineering for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). Since the beginning of my studies, I have been interested in a wide variety of fields, such as anthropogenic and biogenic impacts on atmospheric chemical composition and analytical chemistry.

During my Master’s thesis work, I studied the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from both anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. My interest in this kind of work has been growing ever since, but I also wanted to expand my area of expertise into the history of atmospheric chemical composition. I can contribute to benefit of global society with my research as well as it is fascinating to explore atmospheric history. That is why the DEEPICE project fits my goal perfectly. Moreover, it will give me a great opportunity to collaborate with other researchers and industrial partners in a stimulating international environment, which will surely enrich me as a scientist.

At the University of Bern, Switzerland, I will focus on not only the elemental composition of dust particles in Antarctic ice cores but also the improvement and application of a novel elemental analysis using an inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ICP-TOFMS) on polar ice cores.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : geunwoo.lee@unibe.ch

Hanne Notø

I am Hanne Ødegaard Notø and I come from Oslo, Norway. I completed both my bachelor’s in chemistry and master’s in environmental chemistry at the University of Oslo. During my master’s degree I studied the emission of volatile organic compounds from boreal lake water when exposed to ultraviolet light and ozone. This was to gain an understanding of how organic matter in lakes is broken down during exposure to sunlight and ozone, and which trace gases are emitted to the atmosphere as a product of these reactions. Studying the interface between the atmosphere and hydrosphere has been very interesting, which is why I am excited to learn more about atmosphere-cryosphere interactions through this DEEPICE project.

At Utrecht University I will be developing a method for analyzing organic matter in ice cores. Ice cores contain dissolved and particulate organic matter which holds information about the earth’s atmosphere in the past. Studying the organic composition of ice cores can give us important information about forest fires, marine biological activity among other aspects of the earth’s condition and climate in the past.

In addition to being scientifically intriguing, this project enables me to collaborate with both academic and non-academic partners which will facilitate my development as a researcher.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : h.o.noto@uu.nl

Eirini Malegiannaki

I am Eirini Malegiannaki and I come from Greece. I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Crete, during which I worked on chemical kinetics in the atmosphere related to Climate Change, in the context of my thesis. I hold a Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry from the same university. My thesis had a particular focus on the geochemical analysis of marine shells to determine the past climatic fluctuations using a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometry technique.

I will be working at the Niels Bohr Institute (University of Copenhagen) for the development of a new system called Laser Ablation – Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer (LA-CRDS) that will be dedicated to water isotope analysis together with diffusion studies on ice core samples. The main goal is to obtain high resolution measurements of the water isotopic composition with high precision and accuracy on the Oldest Ice Core (OIC), while at the same time using a minimum amount of the precious ice core sample.

Being a part of the DEEPICE project together with my already gained knowledge and my deep interest in climate, I can see a bright opportunity of gaining further knowledge while contributing on the great impact of the field. I am particularly interested in finding and handling patterns in nature that allows us to interpret and have a better understanding of Earth’s Climate and I am quite excited that this will be done through the collaborative work of the DEEPICE network of experts and scientists.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : eirini.malegiannaki@nbi.ku.dk

Piers Larkman

I am Piers Larkman, from the UK. I hold a master’s degree in physics from The University of Manchester, and I have applied the knowledge and skills I gained from my study to several environmentally-focused research projects, leading me to this PhD within the DEEPICE project.

I will be working at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in Italy. I will be developing a novel automated Cryocell-LA-ICP-MS for trace element determination in ice cores. Drawing on my past academic and professional experience in data collection and processing, I will also develop a semi-automated data reduction and calibration scheme to manage the large amount of data generated during an LA-ICP-MS scan. Use of LA-ICP-MS promises to produce micron-scale resolution trace element profiles and improved dating of deep ice by detecting previously unresolved layers, while preserving the ice core for further analysis.

I am excited to see how my work, and that of others will be applied to the ice extracted in Beyond EPICA to paint a more detailed and complete story of the Earth’s climate than we have ever had before. I look forward to collaborating with the partners within DEEPICE and other actors involved in polar sciences to deliver and share excellent outputs for the DEEPICE project and the wider climate research community.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : 956661@stud.unive.it

Miguel Angel Sánchez Moreno

I am Miguel A. Sánchez and I come from Barcelona, Spain. I completed my bachelor in Engineering Geology at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and a Nordic Master in Cold Climate Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark and at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. My masters focused on Arctic Geoengineering and gave me first-hand experience in Arctic fieldwork by studying at the Arctic Technology Center (ARTEK-DTU) in Sisimiut, Greenland. My thesis focused on the influence of ice to the stability of engineering rock slopes and ice securing measures in Cold Regions.

At the Niels Bohr Institute (University of Copenhagen) I will be working with the Large Area Scanning Microscope (LASM) to make measurements and continuous observations over the whole ice core. This will provide information on ice rheology and its influence on the deformation of ice and use it to reconstruct folds and disturbances of the deep ice based on the LASM measurements. The LASM will be used on existing ice cores and expected BEOI ice cores from Antarctica.

In the DEEPICE project I will be collaborating with the Alfred Wegener Institute and Schäfter & Kirchhoff, and I look forward to work together alongside everyone participating in the DEEPICE network. The program is a great opportunity to improve my skills, gain experience, and delve into the challenges of a fast-changing climate.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : miguel.moreno@nbi.ku.dk

 

Lison Soussaintjean

I am Lison Soussaintjean, and I come from Grenoble, France. I discovered Geosciences at the end of my Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Chemistry, during an internship in the Atmospheric Chemistry team at the Institute of Environmental Geosciences (IGE), in Grenoble. Enthusiastic about biogeochemistry, I chose to further my training with a Master’s degree in the fields of Climate & Atmospheric sciences, and Glaciology. My Master’s thesis focused on a protocol development to extract and analyze ammonium from meteorites and ice cores. Nitrogen isotope analyses were used to investigate a potential extraterrestrial input of ammonium in Greenland ice cores.

The analysis of air bubbles trapped in ice cores makes it possible to reconstruct the past greenhouse gas concentrations such as CO2, CH4, and N2O. However, in the dusty sections of some Antarctic ice cores, corresponding to glacial periods, measured N2O concentrations are affected by in situ production. During my PhD project, conducted at the University of Bern, I will be working on the quantification and correction of this N2O in situ production. New isotopic analyses of N2O could allow to identify its precursors in dust and ice, and to determine the production processes.

Climate change being one of the biggest challenges of our time, I have this strong motivation to be involved in this global awareness and be able to use my scientific expertise in the understanding of paleoclimate to improve predictions on future changes. During my studies, I became fascinated by the Antarctic drilling history, hence I look forward to seeing the first results of the Beyond EPICA project. I am also very excited to interact and collaborate with all the members of the DEEPICE network.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : lison.soussaintjean@unibe.ch

 

Florian Painer

I am Florian Painer and I am from Austria. I completed my bachelor’s and master’s in geosciences at the University of Graz and the Technical University of Graz (members of NAWI Graz).

For my bachelor’s thesis I studied the microstructure of rock samples in thin-sections to reconstruct the metamorphic and tectonic evolution of the study area. I was fascinated by the fact that great knowledge about past geological events can be obtained by the analysis of even very small samples. During my master’s I focused on applied mineralogy and (hydro)geochemistry and, in the context of my thesis, on the hydrothermal synthesis of zeolites and their application for wastewater treatment. For my PhD project I can apply my knowledge about structural geology and mineralogy to one of the most important and fascinating minerals – ice.

I will be working at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, Germany, on ice microstructure and secondary phase inclusions in deep, old ice to assist in creating high resolution climate records. A particular focus will be the semi-automated image analysis of size, shape and distribution of air hydrates in ice thick-sections. In addition, the growth of these inclusions with depth promises an independent dating tool.

I am excited to be part of the international DEEPICE network and to be able to communicate interdisciplinary with my fellow PhD students and experts in the field of ice and climate science.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : florian.painer@awi.de

 

Niklas Kappelt

My name is Niklas Kappelt and I am from West Germany, where I also started my academic career studying chemistry at Bonn University. After spending a year travelling in New Zealand I was drawn towards Scandinavia and recently finished my Master of Science in the atmospheric chemistry workgroup at Copenhagen University. After focussing on air pollution and how to improve air quality for my thesis, I became increasingly interested in the earth’s current and past climate.

Accurate dating of the unique, paleoclimate data from Antarctica is crucial for its interpretation and at the Department of Geology at Lund University I will be working on an approach using 36Cl isotopes, which may also serve as a new climate proxy. The challenge will be to consider the cosmic ray dependent production of this radionuclide, its transport to the poles and its chemical behaviour in the snow that is slowly turning into ice. I will analyse the 36Cl concentration and isotope ratio in previously obtained ice from Greenland and Antarctica and look forward to even older samples from the new Beyond Epica project.

I am excited to be part of the interdisciplinary and international DEEPICE network and look forward to diving deeper into the fascinating science of ice core research together with my fellow PhD students. 

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : niklas.kappelt@geol.lu.se

 

Lisa Ardoin

I am Lisa Ardoin from France. I started my journey in sciences with a Bachelor degree in Earth and Environment Sciences at the University of Burgundy (Dijon, France) and did my Master degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Lorraine (Nancy, France). During my degrees, I developed a strong interest in isotopic geochemistry that I applied to the Great Oxidation Event period (i.e., 2.0 to 2.5 billion years ago). The core of the project was to reconstruct past atmospheric composition using stable isotopes (C, N, S, and noble gases), including xenon isotopes.

The DEEPICE project offers the opportunity to apply my technical skills to measure gas concentrations and isotopes in the basal ice layers collected during past deep-drilling projects in Antarctica.  I am very excited to discover the world of glaciology and to be involved in the development of a new gas extraction system. My work at ULB (Brussels, Belgium) consists of measuring the main components present in the gas sample at once (i.e., N2, O2, Ar, CO2, CH4, and N2O) and to infer potentially past atmospheric composition from the deepest and oldest ices in Antarctica.

I am very excited to be part of this international project and to have the chance to actively collaborate with all the actors involved in DEEPICE. I am looking forward for the results generated by this project and the insights provided to the scientific community.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : lisa.ardoin@ulb.be

 

Inès Ollivier

I am Inès Ollivier, and I come from Grenoble, France. I hold a master’s degree from Université Grenoble Alpes in environmental sciences with a specialization in the study of atmosphere, climate and continental surfaces. I prepared my master’s thesis at the Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement in Grenoble, where I worked on the radiative balance over rough snow surfaces at meter and mountain range scales. The aim was to evaluate the ability of a model to reproduce field measurements of the temporal and spatial variations of snow surface temperature across various terrain configurations.

My interest for climate and polar science grew throughout my studies, and after graduation, I had the opportunity to winterover in Antarctica, which increased even more my interest for this continent. I am therefore quite excited for this PhD and to take part in the DEEPICE project, encounter and share experience with the other students, as well as collaborate with European researchers. I look forward to these upcoming three years of research!

I will be working at the University of Bergen and studying the water isotope climate signal in East Antarctica. The aim is to understand the influence of post-depositional processes on the climate signal imprinted in the snow at the Beyond EPICA drilling site, through laboratory work and field measurements. This should lead to a better interpretation of the water isotope signal in the future ice core and thereby a better reconstruction of the climate in the past.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : ines.ollivier@uib.no

 

Romilly Harris Stuart

My name is Romilly Harris Stuart and I am from the UK. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Manchester in Physical Geography, where I looked at lead pollution in lake sediments from a pro-glacial lake in Svalbard. Inspired by the arctic landscapes, I did my masters in Physical Geography at the University of Bergen, where I benefitted from working inter-disciplinary with the Geophysical Institute. My thesis focused on surface snow metamorphism on the Greenland Ice Sheet, and corresponding changes in snow isotopic composition.

Since the start of my B.Sc. I have been especially interested in understanding the interactions between the cryosphere and atmosphere. I am excited to be working at CNRS-LSCE to improve our understanding of air bubble trapping in the firn in order to have a more accurate chronology of air bubble age relative to the age of surrounding ice. We aim to improve the prediction of air bubble trapping depth from firn densification models by parameterizing the influence of near surface snow metamorphism on densification rate. We’ll do this using the CROCUS snowpack model. This work will benefit from new data from Antarctica to support and constrain the model developments.

I feel very fortunate to be working within the DEEPICE project where we will be involved in innovative research as well as having opportunities to participate in communication with both academic and non-academic audiences. It is an exciting prospect to think of the potential scientific developments that will come from the 15 DEEPICE projects and further into the future with the 1.5 million-year-old ice from the Beyond EPICA project.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : romilly.harris-stuart@lsce.ipsl.fr

 

Fyntan Shaw

I am Fyntan Shaw and I come from Shetland, in Scotland. I graduated from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh with a Master’s degree in Physics. Having started my degree on the Chemical Physics programme, I switched to the standard Physics programme to avoid missing out on some of the programming modules. My projects at university focused on particle tracking microspheres trapped in optical tweezer designs, which heavily involved data analysis and manipulation. I used the determined co-ordinates to characterise these optical traps and perform microrheology experiments on viscoelastic fluids.

My interest in the DEEPICE project stems from a drive to help mitigate the worst effects of climate change, and my PhD offers an exciting opportunity to apply the mathematical and coding skills I have developed throughout my undergraduate degree.I will be working at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam, Germany, with a focus on the diffusion of the isotope record in the deep part of the Oldest Ice Core. I aim to use and develop statistical techniques to estimate the diffusion length, which I can then use to deconvolute the climate signal and compute a much more precise model for the climate.

This project will allow me to contribute to the increasingly important field of climate science, whilst gaining the necessary skills and experience required for future careers. I am excited to join the international DEEPICE network and look forward to the opportunity to work with experts and fellow PhD students on this international project.

 

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : fyntan.shaw@awi.de

 

Qinggang Gao

I am Qinggang Gao from China. I received my bachelor’s degree in Water Resource and Hydropower Engineering at Wuhan University, and my master’s degree in Civil Engineering at ETH Zürich, Switzerland. In addition to my engineering background, I managed to expand my knowledge scope to climate research through many courses and research projects. While my previous study mainly involves the hydrological cycle, atmospheric science, and current climate change, the acquired research skills including climate modelling and some analytical techniques should assist in my PhD study.

My PhD study at the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Cambridge will investigate impacts of Antarctic ice sheets and sea ice on hydrological cycles and water isotopes in ice core records using available observations and isotope-enabled climate models. Specifically, we will conduct multi-model evaluation and intercomparison regarding simulations of water cycles and water isotopes, which might involve the application of UKESM, MPI-ESM, NorESM, and CESM.

I hope this study, together with other 14 PhD students in the DEEPICE project,  will assist in understanding the Mid-Pleistocene Transition through a better interpretation of proxy records in ice cores that will be available from the BE-OI project. Through a better understanding of climate dynamics in the natural past, we will make more reliable projections for the anthropogenic future and help with mitigating climate change.

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : qino@bas.ac.uk

 

Ailsa Chung

I am Ailsa Chung and I come from Scotland. I completed an integrated Master of Physics degree at the University of Edinburgh. While on placement at the University of Sydney, I did my masters project which focused on modeling the electromagnetic properties of materials in order to provide a solution to the drought problems experienced world-wide. My PhD project is the perfect opportunity to apply the numerical and programming skills I gained from my physics degree, assisting in the global effort to understand how the climate is changing.

I will be working at CNRS in Grenoble, France to help develop a numerical model to determine the age of ice around Dome C in Antarctica. I will then compare the results with radar data collected by DEEPICE institutions AWI, UCPH and BAS. Studying the oldest Antarctic ice can help us to understand how the climate has behaved in the past, and therefore what may be in store for us in the future.

I am excited to become part of the international DEEPICE network, collaborating with the other PhD students and experts, both in academia and in industry. I hope that the training and experience I gain from this project will be a great start to a career in glaciology and climate science.

 

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : ailsa.chung@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

 

Daniel Gunning

I am Daniel Gunning and I come from Dunblane, Scotland. Recently I completed a Master of Earth Science degree in Geology and Physical Geography at the University of Edinburgh. For my master’s thesis I produced an estimation on the magnitude and pattern of subglacial melting underneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet and assessed the major controlling factors of basal melt rate distribution beneath the ice. During this time, I have developed a keen interest in glaciology, in both the context of current climate change and the ice ages of the past. I am therefore very excited at the opportunity to continue in the field of glaciology at the University of Bergen as part of the DEEPICE innovative training network and the chance to gain a better understanding of past ice ages and their profound impacts on the global climate.

My project will be studying the Mid-Pleistocene Transition- a fundamental shift in the frequency and characteristics of glacial cycles that occurred approximately 1 million years ago. By combining available paleoclimatic data derived from marine sediment cores with model simulations, my project hopes to provide a consistent picture of the climate system during this major shift in the Earth’s glacial cycles, including the dynamic phases and linkages between ice volume, CO2 concentrations and temperature. I look forward to building my knowledge of glaciology and broadening my education into climate and paleoclimate sciences, which together I believe will provide me with all the tools I need to become a successful and interdisciplinary researcher in cryosphere related sciences.

Moreover, I am eager to become part of the DEEPICE network and the chance to work alongside and be trained by experts from academic and non-academic institutions across Europe, providing me with the needed skills for a future career in either academia or industry.

 

Contact and information

More information about the PhD project

Contact : daniel.gunning@uib.no

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