Missions

We are looking for a motivated postdoctoral researcher for a fully funded 24-month position at the Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (IGE) in Grenoble, France. This position focuses on understanding the spatiotemporal evolution of ice shelf fracturing and damage in Antarctica using multi-sensor satellite observations and advanced image analysis methods.

Your role
The project offers the opportunity to examine how ice shelves have changed over recent decades and what these changes may reveal about their stability in a warming climate. You will combine multi-sensor satellite observations, image analysis, and modeling to better understand patterns and mechanisms of ice shelf evolution.
• Part 1 – Long term satellite record: Investigate patterns in radar, optical, and altimetry datasets from the 1970s to the present to identify signals of change across Antarctic ice shelves.
• Part 2 – Structural interpretation: Apply modern image analysis and machine learning methods to characterize evolving surface and subsurface features and explore how they may relate to ice shelf integrity.
• Part 3 – Model integration: Collaborate with the Cryodyn team to place the observed patterns in the context of modeled ice rheology and ice flow dynamics, contributing to a broader understanding of Antarctic ice sheet evolution.

Activities

- Exploration, analysis, and standardization of large-scale multimodal spatial remote sensing data.
- Run and training a machine learning algorithm at continental scales
- Writing a manuscript for publication in a high-impact journal
- Presentations at international conferences

Skills

-PhD in Earth sciences, computer science, or a related field
-Strong programming skills in Python (experience with machine learning libraries such as scikit-learn, TensorFlow, or PyTorch)
-Knowledge of GIS tools (QGIS, ArcGIS)
-Interest in glaciology and cryospheric research
-Experience with HPC environments is a plus
-Excellent written and spoken English

Work Context

The Institute of Environmental Geosciences (IGE) is a public research laboratory affiliated with CNRS, IRD, the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA), and Grenoble-INP. It focuses on climate change and human impact on our planet in polar, mountain, and intertropical regions, which are particularly sensitive areas with significant societal implications.

The laboratory has an average staff of about 330 people, including 190 permanent members (researchers, teacher-researchers, engineers, technicians, and administrative personnel) and approximately 140 doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and fixed-term contract personnel. Each year, the laboratory hosts around 120 interns and scientific visitors. IGE is located in four buildings on the Grenoble University campus (Glaciology Building, OSUG-B, Climate and Planet House, and INRAE-Grenoble in Saint-Martin-d'Hères).

IGE is one of the primary laboratories of the Grenoble Observatory for Earth Sciences (OSUG), a federative structure of the National Institute for Earth Sciences and Astronomy (INSU).

IGE actively contributes to the national strategy for research in polar regions in collaboration with national and international partners. It is involved in numerous national and international projects.

The recruited individual will carry out their mission within the Cryodyn team of IGE, as part of the Tremplin-ERC IceDaM project, and will report to Romain Millan.

Constraints and risks

No constraints/risks