Within the framework of the Groundwater Resources Development and Sustainable Agriculture project, and under the sponsorship of the Danish International Development Agency, DANIDA, the Department of Earth Science of the University of Ghana in Accra offers a scholarship for a 4-year PhD position starting in August, 2015.
The position includes 1.5-year period (not necessarily continuous) to be spent in Denmark at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, GEUS, in Aarhus.
Description of the research:
The successful candidate will develop a geological model largely based on the available airborne geophysical (TEM, magnetic, gravimetric) data for the White Volta Basin in the Northern part of Ghana. The purpose of the geological model is to provide input for the groundwater modelling of the area. Hence, the modelling activity will focus on the uppermost part of the sedimentary sequence containing the groundwater reservoirs. The PhD activity will involve the delineation of the basin sediments including modelling the interpreted thicknesses and horizontal extents of the sedimentary units in 3D. The obtainable level of resolution of the individual parts of the sedimentary sequence will depend on the data spacing and resolution capabilities of the available data (borehole information, geophysical data, descriptions of outcrops etc.). As a consequence of the large dimension of the investigation area and the probable variability in data density and quality, the uncertainty of the geological model will also vary. This varying uncertainty is important to be disseminated to the groundwater modellers prior to the groundwater modelling. Therefore, another focus point of the PhD activity will be an accurate description and evaluation of the model uncertainties. This uncertainty assessment will need to take all aspects of the data and the modelling into consideration.
Requirements:
In addition to the regular University of Ghana requirements for admission to the new 4-year PhD program, candidates applying for this scholarship should:
· Have a grade point average of at least 3.20/4.00 from a Master of Science with research in the earth sciences;
· Be able to make joint interpretations based on a thorough knowledge of the geology of the region and have demonstrated working experience within the White Volta Basin through previous research and/or consulting;
· Have documented experience with fieldwork (drilling, soil sample descriptions, outcrop descriptions etc.) – preferably in the actual model area.
Knowledge and experience with geophysical data and methods will be an advantage.
Interested candidates should send emails to Prof. Sandow Mark Yidana through the address smyidana@ug.edu.gh and yidanas117@gmail.com to express their interest.
Candidates should enclose:
1) their detailed and most updated curriculum vitae;
2) a letter of application;
3) a two-page dissertation abstract;
4) three letters of recommendation;
5) any other supporting documentation.
All applications should be received by March 6, 2015.
