Post-Doctoral Positions in Subsurface Hydrology

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Utah State University (USU) and the University of Alabama are seeking two post-doctoral scholars to work on a new project funded by the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH). These positions are funded for 20 months with the possibility of extension based on satisfactory performance. The preferred start date is September 2024, but the positions will remain open until filled. The project focuses on the critical role of groundwater in sustaining streamflow during prolonged dry periods, particularly through its contribution to low flows in streams. The primary objective is to enhance low flow predictions in the NextGen Water Resources Modeling Framework by improving subsurface conceptualization and parameterization. The two post-doctoral scholars will work both independently and collaboratively on two main topics: 1. Developing a CONUS scale dataset of effective hydraulic properties (e.g., hydraulic conductivity) of the subsurface using Machine Learning approaches. This task will involve significant data analysis and modeling efforts. 2. Implementing an existing groundwater module in selected land surface and hydrologic models (e.g., Noah-MP, CFE, etc.) and testing their performance in predicting low flows. This will require a solid understanding of hydrologic modeling and the ability to evaluate model performance effectively. Candidates will have the opportunity to work onsite with the potential for a hybrid work model, depending on the specific arrangements with the respective universities.