<div dir="ltr">The following is a PhD opportunity in the UK. Please note that full funding is only available to UK passport holders or EU passport holders who have lived in the UK enough years.<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IS"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="IS"><a href="http://www.nercdtp.leeds.ac.uk/projects/index.php?id=502" target="_blank">http://www.nercdtp.leeds.ac.<wbr>uk/projects/index.php?id=502</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><div class="gmail_quote"><br><div lang="EN-US"><div class="gmail-m_7272731286837579804WordSection1">
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<h2>Tracking and measuring volcanic plumes using drones<u></u><u></u></h2>
<p>Evgenia Ilyinskaya (SEE), Dr Tjarda Roberts (CNRS Orleans), Dr Melissa Pfeffer (Icelandic Meteorological Office), Dr Barbara Brooks (NCAS), Dr Anja Schmidt (SEE)<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:calibri,sans-serif">Project partner(s):</span></strong> Icelandic Meteorological Office (CASE), CNRS Orleans<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family:calibri,sans-serif">Contact email:</span></strong>
<a href="mailto:e.ilyinskaya@leeds.ac.uk" target="_blank">e.ilyinskaya@leeds.ac.uk</a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p>Actively degassing volcanoes emit so-called 'plumes', which are very complex mixtures of volcanic and atmospheric gases and small aerosol particles, such as sulphate. Knowing the aerosol size distributions and its chemical composition are key requirements
for assessing the environmental, climatic and human health impacts of volcanic emissions. In this project the student will equip a drone with a lightweight aerosol and gas sensors. The project will involve testing of both the sensors and the drone. As part
of the CASE studentship, the student will spend at least 3 months at the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO - Iceland's volcano observatory). Actively degassing volcanoes in other parts of the world, such as Italy or Central America, will also be visited.
At many volcanoes the plume is very difficult to sample due to safety issues. Using drones is therefore an exciting new field of research, which is opening up important scientific opportunities. Airborne measurements allow several things that a ground-based
set up does not, for example, measurements very close to the degassing vent, and vertical and longitudinal profiling of the plume. Drone work on volcanic plumes has so far focussed predominantly on gas measurements, with relatively few attempts to measure
aerosol particles. This is a novel project with a high impact potential. It will develop new and much needed technology for making key source-term observations that are needed for volcanic plume dispersion models but are rarely obtained. It is also anticipated
to yield important insights into the dispersion and evolution of volcanic plumes in the atmosphere with implications for health hazards and climatic effects. The field data from the drone will be interpreted in terms of both volcano and atmospheric processes.
The aim will be to produce a highly novel plume 'cross-section' map of aerosol size distribution (which is not possible through ground-based or balloon-borne measurements). These observations can be used to estimate the aerosol emission flux, which is a key
source parameter for dispersion models. The plume will also be tracked by the drone as it travels away from the volcanic vent, and the results will be interpreted in order to understand how plume composition changes with time (e.g. the very important process
of conversion of SO2 gas to sulphate particles). The student will also have the opportunity to set-up and run dispersion and aerosol microphysics models to calculate the plume dispersion and predict the atmospheric and climatic effects of the volcanic emissions.
The student will greatly benefit from the CASE partnership with IMO as they will be experiencing the practical applications of volcanological research and will be able to carry out drone test flights with relatively little air control restrictions. In addition,
at IMO the student will have the opportunity to take part in real-time volcano monitoring and multiple fieldtrips to Iceland's active volcanoes. There will also be an opportunity to spend time at the UK Met Office who are responsible for operational forecasting
of volcanic plumes in the UK air space. Applications are invited from graduates with background in engineering, atmospheric, earth or environmental science, chemistry, physics or maths. Other natural and physical science degrees will also be considered. Relevant
Masters level qualifications are welcomed. The applicant should have a good command of both written and spoken English. Very importantly, the applicant should be willing and capable of fieldwork in potentially difficult conditions.<u></u><u></u></p>
<h3>Related undergraduate subjects:<u></u><u></u></h3>
<ul type="disc">
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Chemistry<u></u><u></u></li><li class="MsoNormal">
Earth science<u></u><u></u></li><li class="MsoNormal">
Engineering<u></u><u></u></li><li class="MsoNormal">
Environmental science<u></u><u></u></li><li class="MsoNormal">
Natural sciences<u></u><u></u></li><li class="MsoNormal">
Physical science<u></u><u></u></li><li class="MsoNormal">
Physics<u></u><u></u></li></ul>
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</div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div>Deirdre Clark, PhD Research Fellow<br></div>University of Iceland | Háskóli Íslands<br></div><div>Institute of Earth Sciences<br></div><div>Sturlugata 7, Askja, Room 265<br></div><div>101 Reykjavík, Iceland<br><br></div><div>+354 525 5414 (Office)<br>+354 690 5745 (Mobile)<br></div><div><a href="mailto:dec2@hi.is" target="_blank">dec2@hi.is</a><br></div></div></div>
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