This project will form an important pillar in the ongoing efforts of some of the group´s researchers to develop a new non-traditional stable isotope system – based on the element chromium – aiming at its potential use as a redox-sensitive tracer system to monitor past climatic changes on Earth through time. Recent advances achieved by our group showed promising in tracking the isotopic composition of chromium in limestones and to correlate fluctuations with those of carbon isotopes and strontium isotopes, two other important paleoclimatic tracers that have become routine in the investigations of climate change over time. The project is two-folded: 1) an experimental part devoted to the study of the mechanisms by which dissolved chromium can enter the calcite structure during precipitation processes, including potential isotopic effects, and 2) an applied part in which the system is tested across some important glaciomarine profiles that are associated with important atmospheric oxygenation events on Earth.

Qualifications:
Based on the projects structure, the potential candidate should be equally interested in laboratory and field work, and should have a devoted interest in deciphering geochemical processes and to design, set-up and conduct own experiments. We seek a motivated individual with a recent Master´s Degree or a corresponding degree in Earth Sciences and/or Chemistry.

Scholarship Application Deadline:31-01-2011

Further Scholarship Information and Application