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Title:<br>
PhD in Data-Driven Modeling and Prediction of Wildfires in the
Boreal and Arctic (KU Leuven, Belgium)<br>
<br>
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the KU Leuven
(Belgium) invites applications for a 4-year PhD position on the
data-driven modeling and prediction of wildfires in the boreal and
arctic zone. The PhD student will advance our understanding of the
occurrence of wildfires in peatland-rich landscapes and make
predictions of future occurrence in the course of climate change. <br>
<br>
Background:<br>
During the last decade, the Boreal and Arctic experienced several
dry spells and heat waves that led to widespread wildfire occurrence
over forests and peatlands. The interplay of flaming (dominantly
biomass) and smoldering (dominantly peat) combustion makes peatland
wildfires very persistent, even 'overwintering' (<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://medium.com/sentinel-hub/zombie-fires-in-the-arctic-clickbait-or-real-a3eec97a70be">link</a>).
Drying as a result of climate change and human activity already led
to more frequent, larger and more severe peatland wildfires.
Peatlands play a critical role in wildfire occurrence in
peatland-rich regions in general, because peatlands can disrupt the
"fuel landscape" when wet, but connect fuels when dry. More peatland
fires will exacerbate global warming due to the instantaneous
release of ‘legacy soil carbon’ that accumulated over millennia, and
aggravate other adversities for the environment and humankind, such
as respiratory diseases with the inhalation of noxious smoke and
costs of extensive firefighting. <br>
<br>
Project overview:<br>
The project PEATBURN funded by FWO aims at fundamentally improving
the large-scale modeling of peatland wildfires by the integration of
crucial novel information about the subsurface fuel (=peat!)
moisture conditions obtained from satellite data assimilation. Key
objectives of PEATBURN are<br>
- to further advance soil moisture satellite data assimilation over
peatlands, <br>
- to improve fire danger rating systems used in fire management, and<br>
- to reveal unique large-scale insights into links between peatland
moisture and wildfires.<br>
The PhD student will create and analyze large data sets on wildfires
and controlling factors (e.g. meteorology including lightning
probability, vegetation, soil, multiple satellite observations and
retrievals, future predictions of climate and land cover/land use
change), and develop a data-driven modeling approach using machine
learning techniques. <br>
<br>
The research team:<br>
The PhD student will be part of the land surface modeling and data
assimilation research group at KU Leuven, Department of Earth and
Environmental Sciences. PEATBURN is led by Dr. Michel Bechtold and
Prof. Gabrielle De Lannoy. The PhD student will further collaborate
with an international team of wildfire experts.<br>
<br>
Further information on this and other vacancies of the research
group, on the required profiles and on how to apply can be found
here:<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/55540142"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/jobs/55540142</a><br>
<br>
Applications are continuously reviewed. The position can be filled
by a suitable candidate at any time. Preferred starting date is
beginning of September but a later date can be negotiated. <br>
<br>
For more information, please contact Dr. Michel Bechtold, tel.: +32
16 32 01 67, e-mail: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:michel.bechtold@kuleuven.be" moz-do-not-send="true">michel.bechtold@kuleuven.be</a><br>
<br>
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