Using ambient seismic vibrations/noise to study subsurface structure and monitor temporal changes of the underground has become standard in seismology. Detailed tomographic images can be obtained and geodynamic or environmental processes can be observed with interferometric techniques. Changes of the groundwater system and the mechanical state in relation to in precipitation and thawing permafrost are two highly relevant observables in our changing environment.

Yet, corresponding services, products, workflows and their integration in modern data infrastructures are still barely developed or standardized and investigations often start from raw data. This leads to huge network traffic, high computational costs and impedes investigations by non-specialists.

Together with the GEOFON Data Center and GFZ IT services we will develop solutions to perform the computationally most expensive steps, once right at the data archive and create data products for the scientific community. The products we envision include noise correlation functions (NCF) for tomography as well as time lapse NCFs for monitoring. Higher level data products for environmental monitoring will allow for the integration into models of environmental processes by non-seismologists in polar and climate research. The work will be carried out in the frame of an EU-project on polar research and a Federal Ministry funded project on the Eifel region in Germany.

Your responsibilities:

• Test and compare existing tools for the calculation of NCFs
• Adapt and integrate the most effective methods in the architecture of the datacenter
• Develop and evaluate data products for environmental monitoring in polar and volcanic regions based on continuous seismic records
• Develop a web service to expose noise correlation functions and higher level products to the scientific community
• Publish results in peer reviewed journals
• Present scientific and technical results and products at international conferences
• Create open-source software 

Your qualifications:

• MSc in Earth Sciences with focus on seismology and affinity and expertise in scientific programming
• Alternatively MSc in computer science, mathematics or physics with experience in seismology
• PhD in Earth Sciences is preferable but not a must
• Good knowledge in scientific software development (Python), preferred: experience with version control systems, parallel computing, database handling, seismological data formats and cloud services/computing
• Experience with seismological toolboxes ObsPy or SeisComP
• Experience in research is a bonus, ideally in the field of seismic noise
• Good command of written and spoken English