Job Title: Postdoctoral Position in Critical Zone Science (Immediate Opening Available)
Department Name: Geology
Campus: Manhattan
Starting date: as soon as possible
We seek a postdoctoral scholar to work at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, on Critical Zone science at the Konza
Prairie Long Term Ecological Research Site. A PhD in relevant areas is required. The successful applicant will be involved in a
collaborative, multi-disciplinary effort intended to provide the groundwork for a possible new Critical Zone Observatory aimed at
improving quantitative prediction of the evolution of epi-karst systems in response to climate and land use/land cover change.
Key tasks will involve 1) identifying, compiling and integrating existing datasets relevant to key critical zone processes of the
Konza prairie and High Plains aquifer, particularly those related to water; (2) undertaking one or more proof-of-concept style
research projects; (3) in collaboration with faculty mentors, refining the questions that will form the focus of an integrated
research proposal; (4) identifying new data sets / types that need to be collected; and (5) developing and submitting a research
grant proposal. Interest in one or more of the following areas is desirable, although other areas of expertise that complement
existing team skills will also be considered.
1. Geochemistry: field or computational aspects of weathering, solute transport, carbon cycling in carbonate and/or shale
lithology
2. Hydrology: field and modeling aspects in karst subsurface flow and groundwater-surface water interactions
3. Geomorphology: ability to quantitatively assess the mechanics of hillslope and drainage pattern evolution, and their role
on regolith formation/transport/deposition
Background
Researchers at Kansas State University, in collaboration with colleagues at University of Kansas and potentially other partners, are
exploring the potential to establish a Critical Zone Observatory in the Konza Region. The Konza includes one of the last remaining
areas of original tall grass prairie, unmodified by human activities, in the U.S. — an ecosystem that at one time covered much of
the Midwest. It is characterized by stream-dissected hills originating from flat chert-bearing limestones and shales of Permian
age1. Relatively low drainage densities indicate a significant proportion of precipitation infiltrates or evaporates quickly; springs
can be found along the more impermeable limestone layers. Long-term precipitation records indicate that 75% of the average
annual precipitation (835 mm) falls during the growing season2, but extreme rainfall events occur during the spring thunderstorm
season. Land cover at Konza Prairie Biological Station includes patches of bare soil, native tall grass prairie vegetation, shrubs,
and riparian forests, with woody vegetation at Konza increasing during the past several decades 3.
The Konza is also a region with high climatic gradients, lying at the confluence of regions predicted to have contrasting change in
climate (drier to the SW and wetter to the NE). These predicted climatic changes will have a major impact on the region, placing
constraints on development, increasing stresses on natural resources and increasing competition for water. It is well known that
groundwater serves as the main source of water to irrigate the critical zone in western KS and water balance across the region is
already delicate, with aquifer depletion predicted at current extraction rates4.
The magnitude of expected changes in the region will exceed those experienced in the last century. Existing adaptation and
planning efforts are inadequate to respond to these projected impacts. This research will contribute directly to the knowledge
needed to face these new challenges.
The overarching goal is to better understand the controls on the hydrologic connection of the landscape to the stream, groundwatersurface water interactions, and stream solute concentration and discharge behavior
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1
Develop and test robust subsurface geochemical and hydrogeologic models that better predict patterns of recharge and
subsurface flow, as well as patterns of withdrawal and depletion for a key study area within the Ogallala/High Plains aquifer of
western KS
Oviatt (1998) Geomorphology of Konza Prairie. Ch. 3 IN Knapp, A. K., J. M. Briggs, D. C. Hartnett, and S. L. Collins, eds. Grassland dynamics: long-term ecological research
in tallgrass prairie. Oxford University Press, New York
2 Hayden (1998) Regional climate and the distribution of tallgrass prairie. Ch. 2 IN Knapp, A. K., J. M. Briggs, D. C. Hartnett, and S. L. Collins, eds. 1998. Grassland dynamics:
long-term ecological research in tallgrass prairie. Oxford University Press,
3 Briggs et al. (2005). An ecosystem in transition. Causes and consequences of the conversion of mesic grassland to shrubland. Bioscience 55:243-254
4
Steward et al. (2013), Tapping unsustainable groundwater stores for agricultural production in the High Plains Aquifer of Kansas, projections to 2110, Proc National Acad Sci
USA, 110(37) E3477-E3486
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Determine how land use change has altered storage and fluxes of solutes and sediments, and biogeochemical processes; note
there is potential to consider both natural and agricultural (cultivated) landscapes.
Assess and predict the response of critical zone structure, stores and fluxes in the region to climate
Translate understanding of critical zone processes to help decision makers enhance resilience and sustainability, and restore
ecosystem function
Position Details and How to Apply
The position will be based at Kansas State University, although close collaboration with colleagues at University of Kansas is
anticipated. The position is for one year in the first instance and will be filled from 2016-2017. For more information please contact
Professor Pamela Kempton ([email protected]). Interested candidates should write to any of the potential faculty mentors listed
below and copy Pamela Kempton. In the application, please include the following
1. Cover letter describing experience and research interests
2. CV
3. Names and full contact addresses of 3-4 reference who we may contact
Team Leaders and Potential Faculty Mentors for this Project:
Kansas State University
Department of Geology
Dr. Saugata Datta ([email protected] )
Dr. Matthew Kirk ([email protected] )
Dr. Pamela Kempton ([email protected] )
University of Kansas
Department of Geography
Dr. Pam Sullivan ([email protected] )
Other Collaborators Participating in this Preliminary Work
K-State, Division of Biology
Dr. John Blair
Dr. John Briggs, Director, Konza Prairie Biological Station
K-State, Department of Agronomy
Dr. Charles Rice
Dr. Stephen Welch
K-State, Department of Civil Engineering
Dr. David Steward
KU, Department of Geology
Dr. Gwen Macpherson