Postdoc opportunity: Investigate how much carbon is stored beneath ice sheets

POSTDOC OPPORTUNITY: Our colleague Stefan Buenz wants to hear from potential candidates who want to explore how much carbon might be released as ice sheets retreat. Candidates should have a strong background in geophysics and expertise in at least one of three areas: 

1. Seismology, particularly ambient noise techniques and seismic tomography 

2. Potential field methods, using gravity and magnetic data to map subsurface structures

3. Basin modelling, with knowledge of sedimentary processes and tectonic evolution

The project would contribute to mapping the thickness of sedimentary basins beneath ice sheets to document how much organic material has accumulated over time, how much of it may have turned into hydrocarbons, and how it is moving over time. Other research groups within iC3 will then integrate those data into climate models.

Selected candidates will join iC3’s MSCA support programme, which has an outstanding track record of helping candidates to write winning proposals. Please see here for more details on current MSCA opportunities with iC3 and our support programme.

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What is the focus of your research at iC3? 

My main focus is on understanding how much carbon is stored beneath ice sheets. This is a fundamental question because it determines how much carbon might be released as ice sheets retreat. 

If there is little organic material, the impact on the carbon cycle could be small. But if there is a lot, it could have major implications for climate change. 

To answer this, we need to map the thickness of sedimentary basins beneath ice sheets. That gives us an idea of how much organic material has accumulated over time and how much of it may have turned into hydrocarbons. 

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How does this research fit into iC3’s work? 

This work is relevant for several research units at iC3. Research Unit 1 is studying carbon release mechanisms, and Research Unit 5 is focused on climate modelling. My work helps provide a key piece of information for both—how much carbon is actually there in the first place. 

If we don’t know how much carbon is stored beneath ice sheets, it becomes very difficult to model what happens when ice retreats. Climate models need reliable input data. Without it, the numbers they produce could be off by a huge margin. 

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What methods do you use? 

I mainly use geophysical techniques to estimate sediment thickness beneath ice sheets. This includes seismic methods, as well as gravity and magnetic data. Each method provides different insights, and combining them helps us build a clearer picture of what’s below the ice. 

We can also use basin modelling to understand how hydrocarbons have formed and moved through the subsurface over time. This connects geological history with present-day climate science.

Photo: Stefan Bünz during a cruise in Lyngen (Norway). Credit: Peter-Lasse Giertzch

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What kind of MSCA fellow are you looking for? 

I am looking for someone with expertise in one of three areas: 

• Seismology, particularly ambient noise techniques and seismic tomography. 

• Potential field methods, using gravity and magnetic data to map subsurface structures. 

• Basin modelling, with knowledge of sedimentary processes and tectonic evolution. 

Each of these approaches can help us better understand how much carbon is stored beneath ice sheets. 

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What other qualities are important? 

Technical skills are essential, but I also look at personality. The MSCA fellow will be part of a team with other postdocs and PhD students, so it’s important that they work well with others. 

Whenever I find a promising candidate, I set up an online meeting. That first conversation tells me a lot about whether they will fit into the group. It’s hard to put into words, but I rely on that initial impression. It has worked well over the years—we have built a strong and happy research team with very little conflict. 

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What do you do when you're not researching? 

I enjoy spending time outdoors. In summer, I go hiking with my wife. In winter, I usually go skiing – though this year, I’m frustrated because we haven’t had much snow yet! I also play tennis with my son, which is a lot of fun. 

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If you are interested in applying for an MSCA postdoctoral fellowship with Stefan, please send him an email briefly outlining your proposed research project and enclose your CV. Subject line: “MSCA candidate enquiry”.