PhD Studentship: Validating Portable Gamma Spectrometry as a Tool for Mapping Spatial Patterns in Soil Organic Carbon

DoS: Prof. William Blake (Email: william.blake@plymouth.ac.uk)

2^nd Supervisor: Dr Jennifer Rowntree (Email: jennifer.rowntree@plymouth.ac.uk)

3^rd Supervisor: Dr Lauren Ansell (Email: lauren.adams@plymouth.ac.uk)

4^th Supervisor: Dr Gonzalo Irisirri /Dr Martin Blackwell (Rothamsted Research)

Applications are invited for a 3.5 years PhD studentship within the Environmental Intelligence doctoral training programme at the University of Plymouth, starting 01 October 2024.

Project Description

Scientific background:

This project aims to integrate new advances in portable gamma spectrometry technology with emerging and urgent environmental land management needs regarding measurement of soil organic carbon (SOC) (Black et al., 2023). Enhancing SOC stocks is an important step toward meeting climate change adaptation and mitigation needs as well as enhancing soil productivity.

Processes behind building SOC and soil response are complex and quantifying changes in SOC patterns from field to farm scale is an essential step for developing knowledge of optimum management interventions. Convention sampling at scale, however, is expensive and time consuming. Innovation in gamma sensors (Van der Veek, 2021) offers opportunity to deliver rapid, on farm assessment of soil organic carbon (Taylor et al., 2023) but there is dearth of evidence to validate the efficacy of the sensor in range of conditions (different soil types, variability in soil moisture etc).

This project will close this gap by:

1. developing passive sensor protocols that can be applied at farm and landscape scale,
2. creating new open-source libraries of conversion data to validate spectrometer data in a range of contexts and
3. derive data and evidence on soil health status to both evaluate SOC model outputs and inform management decisions.

Research methodology:

Working in demonstration farms in South Devon and the Rothamsted Farm Platform (Orr et al., 2016), the student will:

1. undertake preliminary scoping studies with the Medusa Radiometrics passive gamma sensor and ground truth results through laboratory analysis for environmental radionuclides and cross reference to SOC and moisture data derived from sampling;
2. derive conversion algorithms for radioactivity as a proxy for soil SOC, soil texture and moisture;
3. compare sensor data to modelled SOC using Roth-C modelling tool;
4. work with UoP technical specialists in the AGRI-ELL project to optimise deployment of the scanner via UoP autonomous agricultural robot platforms to develop field and farm scale evidence of SOC.

Training:

The student will be trained in advanced catchment survey and sampling approaches, deployment of sensors and data management to include development of multivariate conversion models, state-of-the-art analytical and diagnostic methodologies under ISO9001 (gamma spectrometry and soil health/composition), use of the Roth-C model to develop a sound understanding of complexity SOC processes, setting up and running controlled experiments.

Person specification:

The successful candidate will have a degree in environmental sciences, geography or related discipline with experience in soil science, land and water processes, environmental diagnostic tools, and /or Geographical Information Systems (GIS). They will be keen and willing to undertake substantial amounts of field and laboratory work. They will have an adaptable and flexible approach to problem solving and be willing to learn new skills.

If you wish to discuss this project informally, please contact Professor Blake, willam.blake@plymouth.ac.uk

For information on Eligibility, Funding and to Apply, please click on the links below: 

• Eligibility
• Funding

To apply, please click the 'Apply' button, above.

The closing date for applications on 26 April 2024.

Advert information