PhD position in the research group for Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change at Justus-Liebig University of Giessen,Germany

We seek for a highly motivated PhD student in the 3 year funded DFG (German Science Foundation) -project “Historical Climatology of the Middle East based on Arabic sources back to AD 800“.
This is a common project with Prof. Dr. R. Glaser (University of Freiburg). It aims at using arabic sources to reconstruct past climate including hydrological variations and extremes in the Middle East and North African region back to AD 800. The results will be compared with independent climate evidence from other archives and links with North Atlantic/European and subtropical/tropical climate will be established. Paleo model output will be used to understand climate variations in the region. Another focus will be the analysis and comparison between the ‘Medieval Climate Anomaly’ and the ‘Little Ice Age’ with current conditions in an area where high resolution paleo data are yet scarse. This work is also closely linked to current national and international paleoclimate projects.

Work description:
The candidate will analyse local/regional climate and the large-scale influence/teleconnections on the Middle East region/Northeastern Africa climate within the instrumental period at daily to multidecadal time scales. She/he will derive improved temperature and precipitation reconstructions using new statistical methods in the area using detailed Arabic sources from parts of Iraq, Syria, Israel, Palestine, western Saudia Arabia and the Nile region back to AD 800. The new climate evidence will be analysed, dynamically interpreted and compared with independent reconstructions from natural archives and paleo climate model runs. The possible links and temporal stability to North Atlantic/European and subtropical/tropical climate will be studied.
The candidate will present the results at national and international conferences and publish them in international peer-reviewed journals.
Requirements:
The successful candidate has a MSc degree or equivalent experience in a quantitative science, in an area related to paleoclimatology, meteorology or hydrology. Experience in statistics and computer programming skills are required. Experience in historical climatology or working with climate models is a plus. The candicate should be motivated, well organised and a creative team player.
We provide a dynamical and interdisciplinary environment with mathematicians, physicists, meteorologists, geographers, geologists and historians and a good national and international network in paleoclimatology.
Application:
The post will start as soon as possible. All applications arriving until 18 June 2010 will be considered, later applications until the position is filled.
Applicants should prepare a one page letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, the contact details of three referees and copies of the master certificate.
Please note that only an electronic version of the application in one *single* pdf File will be considered.
Please send your application electronically to Prof. Dr. Luterbacher
juerg.luterbacher@geogr.uni-giessen.de

The University of Giessen is an equal opportunity employer. To increase the number of women in the faculty, female applicants are recommended to apply for this position. Applicants with severe disabilities will be favoured if they are equally qualified as the other candidates.