CSI: ANTARCTICA OPPORTUNITIES

Antarctica / CSI: Antarctica

Coring Seymour Island (CSI): Antarctica

We are seeking one additional graduate student to join our CSI: Antarctica project to explore the nature of the End Cretaceous Mass Extinction as recorded on Seymour Island, Antarctica.

This NSF project is spearheaded by Dr. Tom Tobin in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama with collaborators: Drs. Becky Totten, David Harwood, Brian Huber and Jean Self-Trail.

If you are interested, please see the To Apply section below.

If you are attending GSA (Geological Society of America) 2024 Annual Meeting and would like to meet there, please get in touch before the conference!

Attendance at GSA is not expected, and we can also set up Zoom meetings later in the year.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Seymour Island preserves a detailed record of the latest Cretaceous and earliest Paleogene, and provides our only window into the End Cretaceous Mass Extinction at high southern latitudes. This project aims to create the most detailed record of sedimentology, geochemistry, and microfossil taxonomy across this interval to explore if climatic or environmental changes play an important role in this extinction event, or in biotic recovery. While the evidence for the importance of the Chicxulub impactor is clear, previous studies have disagreed over the importance of environmental changes immediately preceding the impact.

To address this issue in detail, we will attempt to extract a sediment core across important stratigraphic intervals. The core will allow recovery of high-stratigraphic-resolution samples of material that is unaltered by surficial freeze-thaw weathering.

Information for interested students

Graduate School Positions

  • We are seeking two graduate students (one position is filled) to enroll in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama
  • We have a preference for those interested in pursuing a PhD, though MS students will be considered
  • We expect to enroll one student focusing on sedimentology and sedimentary geochemistry (advised by Dr. Tobin) and one focusing on micropaleontology (co-advised by Dr. Totten and Dr. Tobin)
  • We anticipate students enrolling in Fall 2025, though a start date in Spring 2025 may be possible
  • Positions will be fully funded by a combination of GRA (Graduate Research Assistant) and GTA (Graduate Teaching Assistant) support. Funding includes a stipend, tuition waiver, and health benefits, and students will likely be competitive for internal fellowships

Field Work

  • We expect students to participate in field work in Antarctica
  • Field work will consist of 30-45 days of camping or ship supported field work
  • Total “away time” will be 45-60 days, including planning and organizing time in Chile
  • To participate in field work, students will need to Physically Qualify (PQ) through the U. S. Antarctic Program’s medical process
  • Students will also need to be able to travel out of the US and into Chile.
  • Previous field experiences (research or recreational) will be considered, but are not required
  • Students are not responsible for any field work expenses

Other opportunities

  • Students will have the opportunity to visit and collaborate with other project PIs
  • Students will attend core sampling meetings
  • Other professional development workshops (microfossil, stable isotope) will be available

TO APPLY

If you are interested in this position, please complete the below form!

  • Please complete the following form to express interest in the position: Survey Form

In addition to some basic contact and background information, this form will ask you to:

  • Briefly describe previous field experiences (research or recreational)
  • Briefly describe a previous hardship you encountered
  • Briefly describe your career goals
  • Upload a current C.V. or resume

If you have questions about the position, please email Dr. Tobin, or use the contact form.

Students will need to apply for admission to Department of Geological Sciences through the Graduate School

  • Feel free to wait to apply until hearing more from us
  • UA will have a free Graduate Application Week, Oct. 16-20, so consider applying during that window