PostDoctoral Research Fellowship

该奖项由2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》（公法111-5）资助。拟议的研究将量化浅层永久冻土对南极干谷土壤生态系统栖息地适宜性的水文和生物地球化学影响。在干旱河谷生态系统中的永冻土过程的作用知之甚少，因此永冻土，土壤水分，潜流带和地球化学盐水之间的关系的定义是一个重要的进步。研究人员将把为行星地质任务开发的测绘技术，包括遥感测绘和地貌分析，应用于南极永久冻土。这项工作将结合生态，水文和地球化学特征，使永久冻土对南极土壤生态系统的水和养分循环的影响的文件。南极的结果将指导火星永久冻土地貌的天体生物学解释。该研究伙伴关系结合了来自行星永久冻土背景的博士后地质学家和LTER跨学科科学家，为理解永久冻土栖息地的物理/生物过程提供了新的视角。 该研究金将促进研究人员成为大学科学家的职业目标，并将提供行星地质学、地球科学和生态科学之间的交叉培训。 通过在城市波特兰州立大学校园的教学和研究指导，直接的社会影响将来自与不同本科生的互动。由校园LTER赞助的K-12教师和学生实地体验将扩大公众对南极研究经验的认识。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The proposed research will quantify the hydrological and biogeochemical effects of shallow permafrost on habitat suitability for soil ecosystems in the Antarctic Dry Valleys. The role of permafrost processes in the Dry Valleys ecosystem is poorly understood, therefore definition of relationships among permafrost, soil moisture, hyporheic zones, and geochemical brines is an important advance. The investigators will apply mapping techniques developed for planetary geology missions, including remote mapping and geomorphic analysis, to Antarctic permafrost. This effort will be combined with ecological, hydrological, and geochemical characterization, enabling documentation of permafrost effects on water and nutrient cycling in Antarctic soil ecosystems. Antarctic results will guide emerging astrobiological interpretation of permafrost landforms on Mars. The research partnership combines a postdoctoral geologist from a planetary permafrost background and LTER interdisciplinary scientists, to provide new perspectives for understanding physical/biological processes permafrost habitats. The fellowship will advance the investigator's career goals of becoming a university scientist, and will provide cross-training between planetary geology, earth sciences and ecological sciences. Direct societal impacts will be derived from interactions with diverse undergraduates through teaching and research mentoring at the urban Portland State University campus. K-12 teacher and student field experiences sponsored by the Schoolyard LTER will broaden public awareness of Antarctic research experiences.