Doctoral student in Natural Sciences, specializing in Physical Geography (dendroclimatology/remote sensing/isotope analyses)

Gothenburg, Sweden

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. 58 000 students and 6800 employees make the university a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programmes attract researchers and students from around the world. With new knowledge and new perspectives, the University contributes to a better future.

At the Department of Earth Sciences, we have ca 80 employees (10 are PhD students) who work in the fields of Physical Geography, Ecosystem Sciences, and Geology. We have specializations in regional climate, polar climate, paleoclimate, urban climate, alpine and polar ecology, GIS and remote sensing, hydrogeology, geophysics, quaternary geology, and micro-geochemistry. Our three priority research themes are "Climate and Climate Change", "Earth Surface Processes" and "The Geosphere". The Department has a well-equipped dendrochronological laboratory, several DJI drones, and biogeochemical analysis labs.

Our mission is to develop and deliver research, education, and services to society that improve our understanding of how the Earth System functions and the impact of human actions in particular. Our department works to achieve diversity in the workplace and to create a family-friendly environment, and in addition, Sweden has generous family leave and childcare policies. Further information is available on our website:  https://www.gu.se/en/earth-sciences

This doctoral project will be part of SEAL, the National Research School of Excellence in Arctic and Antarctic Research Training (https://www.gu.se/seal). SEAL’s research environment is built on strong collaboration between Swedish universities, which together offer an internationally competitive, field-based doctoral school with unique infrastructure and integrated courses, supervised by leading national and international polar researchers. The research school encompasses the full spectrum of polar expertise—from glaciology, oceanography, and climate modelling to radar, remote sensing, and technology development, as well as social sciences and Indigenous perspectives.

Polar regions play a crucial role in the Earth system. Here, processes in the ocean, on land, and in the atmosphere interact in ways that influence climate, societies, and people globally. These regions host unique and sensitive ecosystems while also being important for international transport routes and natural resources. The ice masses of Antarctica and Greenland are so large that they have the potential to alter global sea levels. Moreover, they contain more than 90 percent of the world’s freshwater. Advancing knowledge about how polar regions are changing and the consequences this may have for biodiversity, human living conditions, and the global climate system is therefore of great importance. The SEAL research school plays a key role in developing the research field and equipping the next generation of polar researchers.

General information about being a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg can be found on the university's doctoral student pages: https://www.gu.se/en/doctoral-studies

Project description

The extreme climate changes that are now affecting large parts of the Arctic are having significant consequences for ecosystems and communities. Increased temperatures, changes in season length and changes in precipitation patterns are affecting vegetation through changes in temperature and hydroclimate. Short meteorological measurement series with insufficient geographical coverage make it difficult to evaluate spatial change patterns and place the observed changes in a long-term context. Dendrochronological data from both trees and shrubs, together with remote sensing, can be used to quantify and analyse changes in the climate and vegetation of the Arctic and Subarctic with high spatial and temporal resolution.

The doctoral project, which is part of SEAL, the national research school for excellence in Arctic and Antarctic research education, aims to investigate how changes in weather and climate affect Arctic and Subarctic vegetation in different growth environments by combining dendrochronology – tree ring width, density and isotopic composition – which provide information on local climate over several decades to centuries, with remote analysis of landscape structure and vegetation changes based on drones, LiDAR, multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, and satellite time series. By integrating these data sources, the project investigates how variations in temperature, soil moisture and other climate factors affect vegetation dynamics, soil conditions and fire susceptibility over different time scales. This means that the doctoral student will develop unique interdisciplinary skills ranging from field and laboratory work to advanced modelling of geodata.

The project requires a doctoral student who wants to work broadly, both with field-based sampling and advanced laboratory analyses of tree rings and isotopes, and with remote sensing and drone technology. The combination of these methods is central to the project, and the doctoral student will develop unique interdisciplinary expertise in both dendroclimatology and modern Earth Observation.

Research questions to be addressed include: How has the spatial hydroclimate pattern changed over the last few centuries? Are certain landscape types in the tundra region more vulnerable to climate change, and can this be mapped using a combination of dendrochronology and remote sensing? What factors govern the resilience of tundra vegetation to, for example, increased temperature and drought during the growing season?

The doctoral student will be based at the Department of Earth Sciences. This position is mainly funded by the Swedish Research Council. The doctoral student's more specific research questions will be developed in collaboration with the supervisors during the course of the PhD project.

Duties

The main task is to complete the thesis under supervision, which includes developing the doctoral student's knowledge and skills in methodology, analytical ability and subject theory. The studies will be conducted as field studies, laboratory studies and computer-based analysis.

Various tools and techniques will be used in this project. The successful candidate must have a background in dendrochronology and data analysis. Experience of other techniques needed for this study, such as remote sensing theory, is an advantage; training will be provided, but the student must be keen to learn the new skills required.

Topics, tools and techniques that will be used in the project include:

• High-precision tree-ring measurement and cross-dating to build chronologies that reflect local climate variations.
• Stable isotopes in tree rings (α-cellulose extraction, δ¹³C/δ¹⁸O) in collaboration with specialised laboratories.
• X-ray densitometry of wood samples.
• Integration of ring width, density and isotopes with observational and reanalysis data (e.g. temperature and soil moisture) to illuminate climate–vegetation–fire relationships.
• Processing of UAV LiDAR, multispectral, hyperspectral and thermal data, as well as analysis of satellite time series (e.g. Sentinel-1/2 and Landsat) to track vegetation and soil moisture/fire impact over time.
• Statistical modelling and (where necessary) machine learning for spatial and temporal patterns; development of reproducible analysis chains in R/Python.

Admission to postgraduate education takes place in the research subject of natural sciences, specialising in physical geography. Postgraduate education comprises four years of full-time study and leads to a doctoral degree. Within the framework of the doctoral position, it is possible to have departmental duties amounting to a maximum of 20% of full-time employment distributed throughout the entire period of study. Departmental duties usually include teaching at the undergraduate and advanced levels, but may also include administration.

Eligibility

Education at third-cycle level requires general eligibility and, where appropriate, specific eligibility as set out in the general syllabus for the subject.

The general eligibility requirements for education at third-cycle level are:

1. having completed a degree at second-cycle level, or
   - the fulfilment of course requirements totaling at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits must be at second-cycle level, or
2. the acquisition of equivalent knowledge in some other way, either in Sweden or abroad.

To meet the specific entry requirements for third-cycle studies, applicants must:

1. have a second-cycle (advanced-level) degree in a relevant* subject area in the natural sciences, or
2. have completed studies for at least 60 higher education credits at a second-cycle level in relevant* subject areas in the natural sciences, or
3. have completed a corresponding programme of relevance to the planned third-cycle programme, in Sweden or in another country, or have equivalent qualifications.

*Relevant subjects for the planned education is physical geography or a closely related field (e.g., geography, environmental science, geology) if these include substantial components of physical geography. If you are very near completion of your second-cycle (Master’s degree) you may apply to this position, as you may be finished when the position will begin.

Assessment criteria

The selection of applicants who meet the basic and specific eligibility requirements will be based on the ability to assimilate the doctoral studies.

The following assessment criteria will be applied in selection among applicants:

• merits from basic education
• credentials from the advanced level education claimed in special qualifications
• the relevance of the previous education for the planned education at postgraduate level
• assessment of the applicant's ability to assimilate postgraduate education
• where applicable, assessment of the applicant's ability to work within a research group

The evaluation of applicants will further be based on the following necessary and desirable assessment criteria:

Necessary qualities:

• Experience of dendrochronological methods.
• Basic knowledge of remote sensing and/or drone-based data collection.
• Good knowledge of quantitative methods through university courses with elements of statistics or data analysis
• Good ability to work quantitatively in R and/or Python.
• Good ability to communicate orally and in writing in English
• Interest and opportunity to carry out fieldwork in Sweden's tundra area during the vegetation season

Desirable qualities:

• Experience of stable isotopes or other chemical analysis of plant material.
• Experience of working with and analysing remote sensing data (e.g. multispectral and/or lidar point cloud data)
• Experience of linking biological proxy data to climate data.
• Completed university course(s) that included GIS, climate data analysis and/or plant ecology
• Knowledge of plant physiology
• Experience of flying drones or willingness to learn
• Experience of working in mountain or Arctic environments.

Admission and employment

Location: Department of Earth Sciences. Extent:100%. First day of employment: 2024-10-01 or upon agreement.

Once you have been admitted for education at third-cycle level, you will be employed as a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg. The provisions for employment as a doctoral student can be found in ordinance SFS 1993:100.

Initial employment as a doctoral student may apply for a maximum of one year, and may be renewed by a maximum of two years at a time. A doctoral student may be employed as a doctoral student for a maximum of eight years, but the total period of employment may not be longer than the equivalent of full-time education at third-cycle level for four years.

Please note, doctoral studies at the Department of Earth Sciences require physical presence to conduct the studies. If the admitted applicant needs a residence permit for higher education to pursue studies in Sweden, the Department has the right to revoke the admission decision if the applicant cannot present a valid residence permit no later than at the start of the studies.

The University applies a local agreement on salaries for doctoral students.

Contact information

Hans Linderholm (Department head), Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Hansl@gvc.gu.se, +46 (0)708 58 95 04

Application

You can apply to be admitted for education at third-cycle level via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per this notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.

The application should be written in English and must include:

• A short cover letter with the applicant’s justification for the application, i.e., that describes how the applicant meets the selection criteria
• An attested list of qualifications (CV)
• Examination certificates and a transcript of courses with grades
• A copy of the Master thesis (or equivalent)
• Employments certificates and other documents deemed important by the applicant

Along with your application, please include a written statement (1–2 pages) explaining why you wish to work on this project at this department

The top ranked candidates will be selected for an interview, which might be held in English and could also be performed by Zoom.

Applications must be received by: 2026-04-02