About the Project
This PhD is part of the Net Zero Polar Science DTP, which aims to make polar science possible in a net zero world. For further details visit https://nzps-dtp.ac.uk/
Supervisory Team:
- Lead Supervisor: Nick Rutter, Northumbria University
- Co-Supervisor: Emma Hocking, Northumbria University
- Co-Supervisor: Paul Mann, Northumbria University
- Co-Supervisor: Lee Brown, University of Leeds
- Co-Supervisor: Leanne Wake, Northumbria University
Project Summary:
Arctic lakes play a crucial but poorly understood role in global carbon cycling, functioning as both carbon sinks and sources depending on the season. Winter, the Arctic’s longest season, remains particularly understudied. Yet we know surprisingly little about what happens beneath their frozen surfaces during this extended period. In winter, lake ice seals off the water from the atmosphere, while beneath the ice, microbial processes continue – producing and consuming greenhouse gases. When ice break-up occurs in spring, large pulses of these gases are released. These emissions, whilst recognised as significant, remain very poorly constrained because they are difficult to measure: carbon flux towers are sparse, and satellite observations are too coarse and infrequent to capture such rapid releases.
In addition to challenges in measuring emissions, low confidence in projections of emissions from Arctic lakes stems from limited understanding of the processes controlling winter gas build-up. A critical unknown is how snow cover – the gatekeeper for light availability within frozen lakes – affects microbial activity. Thick snow can block light, restricting photosynthesis and oxygen production, whereas thin or patchy snow allows light through, stimulating microbial activity and potentially increasing greenhouse gas emissions. As Arctic winters warm and snow conditions shift, these dynamics are changing rapidly, making this research increasingly urgent.
This PhD will use new low-cost, low-carbon sensing technologies to investigate how snow and ice conditions shape winter carbon cycling in frozen lakes. Working with international partners in Canada, Sweden, and Finland, you will deploy sensor packages to continuously measure greenhouse gases, light, and temperature beneath lake ice. Snow removal experiments and snow mass mapping will help determine how light availability influences under-ice gas production. By linking field measurements, modelling, and innovative sensor technology, the project will help address a major uncertainty in Arctic climate science: how frozen lakes contribute to global carbon budgets.
A key part of this project is its net zero focus. You will explore how low-cost, low-carbon sensing approaches can reduce the need for repeated travel to remote sites by enabling data collection by in-country partners and communities. Through using simple, intuitive measurement systems and remote telemetry, the project will evaluate how Arctic field research can minimise environmental impact while building long-term local capacity.
This PhD offers an exciting opportunity for students interested in climate science, limnology, snow science, environmental sensing and sustainable field research. You’ll gain experience in environmental instrumentation, field experimentation, data analysis and modelling, supported by a collaborative and inclusive research team working at the forefront of Arctic environmental change.
Research Objectives:
- Quantify the impact of snow cover on light availability and carbon cycling in frozen Arctic lakes
- Deploy and test low-cost sensors in Arctic lakes to measure greenhouse gases, light and temperature, pioneering low-carbon Arctic monitoring
- Integrate field data and modelling to improve projections of winter greenhouse gas emissions from Arctic lakes
- Net Zero Case Study: Reduce the polar carbon footprint through low-cost sensing by evaluating the carbon budget for deployment of low-cost sensors versus conventional carbon flux measurements, and working with local teams to minimize travel-related emissions
Technical Approaches:
To understand the build-up of greenhouse gases in frozen lakes over winter, and their subsequent emission to the atmosphere during spring ice break-up, novel low-cost sensors (CO2, CH4, pressure temperature, light intensity) will be deployed in lakes. These sensors are being developed and tested through the NERC GEMINI project. Development of ultra-low power sensors allows for temporal variability of dissolved greenhouse gases in water beneath surface lake ice to be measured. Measurement from winter freeze-up through spring ice break-up of relative variability of CO2 and CH4, in relation to environmental drivers (temperature, light availability etc.) will provide unique data sets to compare to conventional atmospheric measurements of greenhouse gas fluxes that struggle to adequately capture the magnitude of these emissions.
Training Opportunities:
This project will involve you working closely with international partners in the Arctic nations of Canada, Sweden and Finland, and will involve a fantastic opportunity for undertaking Arctic fieldwork. Full training will be provided to support data collection in cold environments. Additional support for numerical analysis to upscale field measurements and investigate their application in process-based models will be provided by the supervisory teams at Northumbria and Leeds.
Desired Academic Background:
We welcome applications from enthusiastic and motivated students with a degree in physical geography, environmental science, Earth sciences, or closely related quantitative disciplines. Prior experience with fieldwork, data analysis, or environmental instrumentation is helpful, but not essential. Full training will be provided.
Eligibility
For entry to PhD study, applicants are expected to have at least one of the following:
• a first or upper second (2:1) class honours undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, or an equivalent international qualification,
• a relevant master’s qualification or equivalent evidence of prior professional practice.
International applicants and candidates from non-English speaking countries will need to meet the minimum language requirements for admission onto the programme of study for their Home institution.
How to Apply
To apply for a NZPS DTP studentship, please follow the guidance on the NZPS application process webpage.
Informal enquiries about the project and your application should be addressed to the project supervisor, Dr Nick Rutter – nick.rutter@northumbria.ac.uk
After you have discussed your application with the project supervisor and read the NZPS application guidance, you should:
1) Complete the online NZPS Application Form by 17.00GMT 7th January 2026.
2) Submit any additional application documents in the requested format to NZPS@northumbria.ac.uk by the closing date.
If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact us at nzps@northumbria.ac.uk
Funding Notes
Funding is available to Home/UK and international (including EU) students, subject to the successful completion of quality assurance checks and UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) compliance requirements. This includes a full stipend at UKRI rates (for 2025/26 FT study this is £20,780 per year), full tuition fees and an annual Research Training and Support Grant (RTSG). Studentships are also available for Home applicants who wish to study part-time in combination with work or personal responsibilities. Please note: additional costs may apply for international applicants.
References
1. Rutherford J, Rutter N, Wake L, Cannon AJ. 2025. Snow thermal conductivity controls future winter carbon emissions in shrub-tundra. Biogeosciences, 22:5031-49
2. Ludwig SM, Natali SM, Mann PJ, et al. 2022. Using machine learning to predict inland aquatic CO2 and CH4 concentrations and the effects of wildfires in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 36:e2021GB007146
3. Brown LE, et al. 2025. Integrating sensor data and machine learning to advance the science and management of river carbon emissions. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology. 600-623
