Wilkes Subglacial Basin stability through the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

About the research project

The sensitivity of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet to sustained ocean warming remains one of the largest uncertainties in future sea-level projections. A key vulnerability is the Wilkes Subglacial Basin, where much of the ice rests below sea level on a bed that deepens inland. This geometry can permit self-sustaining retreat once warm ocean water reaches the continental margin. Geological records show that the basin may have changed substantially in the past, but the ocean conditions associated with retreat and expansion, and the consequences for Southern Ocean ecosystems, remain poorly constrained.

This project will investigate newly collected marine sediment cores from the continental margin adjacent to the Wilkes Subglacial Basin. The targeted interval, approximately 2.0 to 0.8 million years ago, spans the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, when Earth's glacial cycles shifted from predominantly 41,000-year to stronger, longer approximately 100,000-year cycles without a major change in orbital forcing. Within the MPT, the “super” interglacial Marine Isotope Stage 31 (1.08-1.06 Ma) provides a valuable case study to test the ice sheet sensitivity to CO2 and insolation. The project will address the question: how did ocean circulation, marine productivity and ecosystem structure interact with changes in the stability of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin ice sheet during reorganisation of the climate system across the MPT and within MIS31?

The candidate will develop an integrated multiproxy reconstruction. Grain-size distributions along with X-ray Fluorescence ratios will distinguish changes in current strength, sediment transport and ice-rafted debris. Redox-sensitive trace metals will reconstruct bottom-water oxygenation and water-mass changes. Biogenic opal, organic carbon and excess barium will quantify export productivity and reveal how nutrient supply and glacial meltwater affected the biological pump. Sedimentary ancient DNA will provide a complementary record of marine ecosystem composition and turnover. Detrital neodymium isotope compositions will identify changes in sediment provenance, helping separate local Wilkes Basin erosion from material transported along the Antarctic margin and linking marine conditions to ice-sheet retreat and advance.

By integrating these records within a robust age model, the project will test whether Antarctic Current changes preceded changes in ice sheet dynamics and altered stratification and oxygenation, and impacted productivity and ecosystem structure. The results will provide process-based evidence from a major climate transition, improve understanding of ocean-ice-biosphere feedbacks, and help evaluate the behaviour represented in models used to project East Antarctic contributions to future sea-level rise.

Primary supervisor

Meet Associate Professor Taryn Noble

Funding

Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:

• a living allowance stipend funded by University of Tasmania of $34,315 per annum for 3.5 years
• a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
• a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)

A tuition fee offset may be offered to eligible international applicants following competitive assessment 

As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.

Other funding opportunities and fees

For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees for undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page.

Eligibility

Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.

Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.

Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:

· A relevant Honours or Masters degree (or equivalent research experience) in marine geoscience, Earth science, environmental chemistry, palaeoclimatology, marine ecology, molecular ecology or a related discipline.

· Demonstrated critical-thinking and quantitative data-analysis skills.

· Capacity to undertake careful laboratory work and maintain rigorous contamination-control and quality-assurance procedures.

· Strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across disciplines.

· Interest in Antarctic climate, oceanography and ice-sheet change.

Selection criteria

The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

· Experience with one or more of sedimentology, geochemistry, isotope analysis, molecular laboratory methods, bioinformatics or palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.

· Proficiency in R, Python or comparable scientific analysis software.

· Experience with multivariate statistics, time-series analysis or integrating multiproxy datasets.

Application process

1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
2. Contact Associate Professor Taryn Noble to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
3. In your application:
   • Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
   • Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
4. Apply prior to 1 October 2026.

Full details of the application process can be found under the ' How to apply ' section of the Research Degrees website.

Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.

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