PhD Position Sediment Dynamics and Timescales of Morphological Change in River Deltas

Many of the world’s hotspots for nature and biodiversity, but also for human population, economy and agriculture are situated on river deltas. Deltas form by the transport, deposition and erosion of sediment at the interface of rivers and open water. The dynamics of these sedimentary systems depend on a range of factors including sea level, waves and tides, and the supply of water and sediment by rivers. Ongoing climate change and engineered interventions such as dam construction and river engineering have rapidly changed the conditions in which deltas have formed. This should lead to deltas changing their morphology, but it may take deltas decades to thousands of years to adjust to new conditions. We currently cannot fully predict the pathways in which deltas do this, and thus the consequences of anthropogenic interventions on future delta evolution.

In this PhD you will explore how delta morphology adapts to quickly changing conditions. You will use numerical models (such as Delft3D) to model deltas and quantify changes in the sediment transport network (e.g. using SedTRAILS). With the models, you will analyse morphological changes and the timescales over which these changes take place. Depending on your interests and expertise, you may link models to selected case studies through remote sensing or field data. Your work will improve our understanding of past, current and future episodes of delta evolution, and our ability to anticipate for changes in terms of mitigating adverse effects and possibilities of building with nature.

You will join the Applied Geology section in the Department of Geoscience and Engineering of TU Delft’s faculty of Civil Engineering and Geoscience. In the Applied Geology section you will find a collaborative team studying sedimentology, Earth’s surface processes and subsurface characteristics. Within the faculty you will be part of a vibrant and growing community of scientists and engineers studying rivers, deltas and coasts, and their sedimentary deposits. You will be encouraged to learn new skills, develop your own ideas, and explore new collaborations. You will share your findings at conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. These experiences will pave the way for diverse career paths in industry, consultancy, governmental agencies, or universities.

To be considered for the position you will have:

• A Master’s degree in Earth Science, physical geography, civil engineering, geology, physics, modelling, or a closely related field. If your education and experience are from a less-related field, please clearly explain your motivation for pivoting to this topic.
• Experience with sedimentary systems, sediment transport, sedimentology, geomorphology, morphodynamic processes, river engineering or coastal engineering, e.g. in thesis or project work.
• Experience with a high-level programming language, e.g. Python or Matlab.
• A keen interest in quantifying morphodynamic processes.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

It would be a strong plus for you to have:

• Experience with using numerical models (e.g. Delft3D).
• Experience with analysing sedimentary systems through remote sensing, fieldwork, physical experiments, or other methods.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

From 1 September next, a salary increase of 3.7% applies due to a Collective Agreement amendment, followed by an additional 1% increase on 1 January 2025. In addition, most employees employed on 1 September 2024 will receive a one-off payment of €300 gross based on full-time employment.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

 

 

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.