I am looking for a new graduate student to join the Sedimentary Systems Research group at Virginia Tech. This student would start in August 2014 (applications due January 2014).

The research project will investigate the flow history of the Deep Western Boundary Current in the North Atlantic Ocean in response to significant past global climate change (specifically, at the Eocene-Oligocene and Oligocene-Miocene transitions). Flow history of this long-lived and globally important oceanic current will be reconstructed primarily from quantitative grain-size analysis of sediment cores from deep-sea ‘drift’ deposits of the Newfoundland Ridge. These data will be generated in laboratory facilities at Virginia Tech.

This project is associated with the broader scientific goals of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 342, which I sailed on as a participating scientist in summer 2012. More information about Expedition 342 here: http://publications.iodp.org/preliminary_report/342/342pr_5.htm

The scope of the research could be designed for either M.S. or Ph.D. level. For those students seeking a Ph.D. I’d like to hear ideas from the prospective student regarding the design of the project.

General information about the graduate program in the Dept. of Geosciences at Virginia Tech: http://www.geos.vt.edu/prospectivestudents/graduate.php

Learn more about VT Sedimentary Systems Research group: http://vtsedsystems.wordpress.com/

Please contact me if you’d like to learn more about this opportunity.

Dr. Brian Romans
Assistant Professor
Virginia Tech Geosciences
romans@vt.edu