We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated postdoctoral researcher with experience in weathering geochemistry to help strengthen the expertise in the section. You will independently lead a project related to the long-term carbon budget of mountain catchments that will exploit time-series of samples of river waters and sediments from different catchments in the Himalaya. You will develop and apply metal isotope tools, in combination with major and trace element geochemistry, to help partition solute sources and draw conclusions about the efficiency of CO2 drawdown by silicate weathering.

In an interdisciplinary and diverse research group, we develop and apply geochemical tools to Earth surface processes. Within the Helmholtz Laboratory for the Geochemistry of the Earth’s Surface (HELGES) we use novel stable, radiogenic, and cosmogenic isotope systems, to address questions related to element and material cycling at the Earth Surface across timescales ranging from modern-day to deep-time. We host a MC-ICP-MS, an in-house built fs-laser ablation system for in-situ analyses, and several auxiliary ICP instruments, as well as class-100 clean lab facilities for sample preparation. 

Your responsibilities:

• Generate high-quality geochemical data from river water and sediment samples
• Use, adapt and develop quantitative geochemical frameworks to explore the links between weathering, climate and geomorphology
• Take part in fieldwork as necessary to obtain new samples
• Develop your own interdisciplinary research questions and collaborations in and beyond the team
• Make scientific contributions to other section projects, in particular those of students and interns
• Contribute to the smooth running of the HELGES laboratory
• Present results at international conferences and prepare manuscripts for publication in international, peer-reviewed scientific journals

Your qualifications:

• An MSc and PhD in geoscience or a related field
• Expertise in metal isotope geochemistry principles and applications
• Experience with preparation and analysis of samples for metal isotope analyses in clean laboratories, and measurement by multicollector-ICP-MS
• Good knowledge in aspects of chemical weathering, long-term carbon cycling, and Earth surface processes
• Intellectual curiosity and willingness to engage with new fields and interdisciplinary topics
• A track-record, appropriate to career stage, of publishing results in peer-reviewed journals, with an emphasis on quality over quantity
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and interact in diverse, active communities
• Fluency in spoken and written English; basic German is a benefit