PhD Position in monitoring and modeling groundwater recharge across heterogeneous environments

Sustainably using groundwater from the aquifers around Perth requires balancing the needs of groundwater dependent ecosystems and society for access to this water: a difficult challenge that is likely to worsen under a drier future climate.  At present, Western Australian Government Agencies rely on models to help support these decisions.  Recharge is a key flux that drives these models, but often remains uncertain.  This PhD position is a component of a larger project that aims to develop new recharge models.  A key component of the project is to design and implement recharge monitoring to enable comprehensive testing of these models.  

Your role in this project is to use the existing Perth Regional Aquifer Model (PRAMS) to identify whereabouts recharge observations would have the greatest benefit to informing management decisions.  You would also assist in the field deployment of the recharge monitoring equipment, and in data acquisition, processing and use.  You would work closely with experts in numerical modelling and the use of PRAMS (Adam Siade), in groundwater and ecohydrology (Sarah Bourke, Jim McCallum and Sally Thompson) and with a postdoctoral scholar working on the project.  You will form part of a large research team including UWA, CSIRO and Western Australian State Government Agencies.

This position would suit a candidate who has achieved or will achieve First Class Honours or a high achieving Masters Student in Science/Engineering.  Candidates experienced in groundwater hydrology, modeling and environmental field measurements will be highly regarded.

The position will aim to start early 2021, based in Perth, WA. 

To be successful in the role, you will have:

• Bachelor Honours (First Class) or Master’s degree in Science or Engineering
• Experience in modeling, preferably hydrological or hydrogeological modelling
• Experience in field research
• Excellent written and communication skills in English