PhD Scholarship

University of New South Wales

Hydrology in a changing climate: characterising rainfall for flood estimation

A PhD scholarship on design flood estimation is available in the Hydrology group of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, under the supervision of Dr. Gregoire Mariethoz, with co-supervision of Drs. Ashish Sharma and Matthew McCabe.

The accurate estimation of floods is crucial for all infrastructure development. These processes are highly dependent on both the temporal and spatial variability of rainfall. While the temporal variability in rainfall sequences causing floods has previously been examined, characterising the variability in space remains a challenge. This project will seek to address a number of outstanding research questions, including: How will the spatio-temporal variability associated with extreme rainfall change in the future? Will 100 year ARI design storms in small urban catchments have a smaller spatial signature? What will happen to the spatial patterns associated with the probable maximum events? How will change in rainfall affect aquifer flood recharge? How can we use data resources from satellites, radars and ground observation networks to help develop the methods for defining the extreme storms of the future?

The candidate will be highly motivated, with a background in civil or environmental engineering, hydrology, statistics, computational science or applied mathematics, and possess an aptitude for numerical applications and programming. A PhD stipend of $25,000 per annum (tax free) is available for a period of up to three years (with a possible extension for an extra 6 months) to Australian citizens or those with permanent residency status. Further income of up to $8,000 per annum is available through acceptance of tutoring duties within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, along with support for travel and training related to the project. The selected student will attend local and international conferences, along with an opportunity for an extended stay at an overseas partner university to develop research ideas and collaboration.

Further information on the project can be obtained by contacting Dr Gregoire Mariethoz (gregoire.mariethoz@unsw.edu.au). Those interested in the project should submit a cover letter, academic transcript and CV to: Dr Mariethoz, UNSW Water Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052.

Applications close on October 24, 2011.