In a study published in the EGU journal The Cryosphere, Regime shifts in Arctic terrestrial hydrology manifested from impacts of climate warming, Ambarish Karmalkar and I investigated how water cycle intensification and permafrost thaw will continue to alter the Arctic’s terrestrial water cycle. We focused on future projection of the affects of climate warming and the associated manifestations on runoff and river discharge. We simultaneously published a piece in The Conversation that focuses on ecosystem impacts, described in language useful for broader audiences. The UMass news release has additional details on the published study.

In a recent paper in The Cryosphere, Ambarish Karmalkar (formerly in the Climate System Research Center, now at U Rhode Island) and I describe projected changes in runoff and river discharge across the pan-Arctic drainage basin. In a related piece in The Conversation we describe the results for broader audiences, concluding that “At the coast, changing river flows will also affect the plants, animals and Indigenous populations that call the region home. For them and for the global climate, our study’s findings highlight the need to closely watch how the Arctic is being transformed and take steps to mitigate the effects.”

In a pair of new papers my colleagues and I describe new numerical model simulations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loaded to rivers throughout the western Arctic and how flows of water and DOC are increasing in northwest Alaska. Read more in the UMass news release and the Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences and Environmental Research Letters journal articles.

The Climate System Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst serves to advance understanding of the nature and causes of climate change, and the effects that those changes have had on the environment. This research leads to a better understanding of how the climate system functions. Its mission emphasizes high quality climate research at an international level, the education and training of student scholars, and outreach to the public through interactions with the media and public lectures. CSRC scholars engage the broader scientific community by publishing peer-reviewed journal articles, presenting results at conferences, and participating in working groups examining climate system dynamics.

Overview:

The CSRC seeks a highly self-motivated and qualified candidate to work on development and implementation of process modeling of hydrological and biogeochemical flows in arctic environments. The appointment is affiliated with the NSF Beaufort Lagoons LTER and NASA Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE). Overarching research goals center on quantifying the timing and magnitude of terrestrial water, carbon, and energy exports to coastal zones and assessments of the associated impacts of hydrological cycle intensification and permafrost thaw. The successful candidate will lead efforts to develop and implement model algorithms including, but not limited to, the subsurface flows of water and carbon and the processing of dissolved organic carbon during river transit to coastal zones. The scholar will add components to a coupled modeling framework, analyze simulation estimates, and publish results. There will be opportunities to develop and pursue novel hypotheses in the context of project goals. Applicants must have completed a Ph.D by the time of appointment. The initial appointment will be for one year with renewal contingent on satisfactory performance. Anticipated start date is September-October 2021. The University of Massachusetts provides a comprehensive benefits package to Postdoctoral Researchers.

Essential Qualifications:

Ph.D degree in earth system science, geography, ecology, physics or a related field.

Experience in developing, testing, and implementing hydrology or land surface models.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with the Linux operating system, shell scripting, Fortran and/or C/C++, R, Python, Latex, and the ability to work in high-performance computing (HPC) environments.

Experience in analysis and processing of large data sets.

Familiarity with the use of remote sensing data from satellite and airborne platforms such as AMSR, AVHRR, AVIRIS, MODIS, and SMAP.

Knowledge of the climate, hydrology, biogeochemistry of Arctic environments in the context of model development and application.

Excellence in research as demonstrated through publication of manuscripts in refereed journals and presentations at scholarly conferences.

To Apply:

Applicants should submit a cover letter describing relevant experience and qualifications, and a curriculum vitae, to Michael Rawlins <mrawlins@umass.edu>. Letters of recommendation will be sought from qualified candidates. All applications should speak directly to the candidate’s ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and engage effectively in scholarly research. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) of women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Applications from these and other protected groups are highly encouraged.

A book chapter on Arctic hydrology I authored has been published in a new book on Arctic hydrology, permafrost, and ecosystems. The chapter reviews research on regional flow regimes and changes, and the results of watershed hydrology analyses, including climate impacts and influences of human activities, particularly dam regulation.

Rawlins M., Yang D., Ge S. (2021) Regional and Basin Streamflow Regimes and Changes: Climate Impact and Human Effect. In: Yang D., Kane D. (eds) Arctic Hydrology, Permafrost and Ecosystems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50930-9_6

The Climate System Research Center (CSRC, <https://websites.umass.edu/csrc>) at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst serves to advance understanding of the nature and causes of climate change, and the effects that those changes have had on the environment. This research leads to a better understanding of how the climate system functions. Its mission emphasizes high quality climate research at an international level, the education and training of student scholars, and outreach to the public through interactions with the media and public lectures. CSRC scholars engage the broader scientific community by publishing peer-reviewed journal articles, presenting results at conferences, and participating in working groups examining climate system dynamics.

Overview:

Applications are being accepted for a highly self-motivated and qualified postdoctoral scholar to work on development and implementation of models and advance understanding of linked hydrological and biogeochemical flows across the western Arctic. The overarching goal of the research is to quantify the timing and magnitude of terrestrial water, carbon, and energy exports and assess associated impacts of climate change. The successful candidate will lead efforts to develop and implement model algorithms of the leaching of carbon and other nutrients into river systems and processing during transit to coastal zones. The scholar will add components to a coupled modeling framework, analyze simulation estimates, and publish results. Applicants must have completed a Ph.D by the time of appointment. The initial appointment will be for one year with renewal contingent on satisfactory performance. Anticipated start in fall 2020. The University of Massachusetts provides a comprehensive benefits package to Postdoctoral Researchers.

Essential Qualifications:

Ph.D. degree in earth system science, geography, ecology, physics or related field.

Experience in developing, testing, and/or implementing hydrology or land surface models and deriving model evaluation metrics.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with the Linux operating system, shell scripting, Fortran and/or C/C++, R, Python and the ability to work in high-performance computing (HPC) environments.

Background in analysis of large data sets and file formats netCDF and HDF.

Experience in use of remote sensing data from satellite and airborne platforms such as AMSR, AVHRR, AVIRIS, MODIS, and SMAP.

Knowledge of the climate, hydrology, biogeochemistry of Arctic environments in the context of model development and applications.

Excellence in research as demonstrated through publication of manuscripts in refereed journals, presentations at scholarly conferences, and collaborations on applications for funding. A clearly expressed plan for the research investigation is encouraged.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

To Apply:

Applicants should submit a cover letter describing relevant experience and qualifications, and a curriculum vitae, to Michael Rawlins <rawlins@geo.umass.edu>. Letters of recommendation will be sought from qualified candidates. All applications should speak directly to the candidate’s ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and engage effectively in scholarly research. Review of applications will continue until the position filled. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) of women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Applications from these and other protected groups are highly encouraged.

In a paper published in The Cryosphere on Dec 18, colleagues at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and I describe baseline hydrology and changes linked to degrading permafrost across Alaska’s North Slope. Read more in the online article, the UMass news release, and/or a piece published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette.