PhD or post doc positions
None at the moment.
Bachelor and Master Thesis
Wave-induced release of methane in lake littoral zones
Methane is a climate-relevant trace gas that accounts for ~20% of the greenhouse effect. Lakes are important components of the global carbon cycle by releasing methane to the atmosphere and in particular have been identified as an important source of atmospheric methane in the global methane budgets.
The project focuses on the role of surface waves (wind and ship-generated waves) as hydrodynamic trigger for the release of methane from the littoral, nearshore sediments and its temporal dynamics and spatial patterns.
Several short-lasting field campaigns will be conducted in the littoral, nearshore zone of Lake Constance to investigate how methane dynamics (release of methane filled bubbles – ebullition and dissolved methane concentrations) couple to the occurrence and properties of wind and ship waves. The experiments will cover a broad range of physical as well as biogeochemical measurements with techniques and instrumentation that are well established in our working group.
The thesis involves field and lab work. In specific, several short-lasting field campaigns on Lake Constance, the analysis of water samples via GC, and the analysis and interpretation of the measured time series collected by the deployed devices.
Contact:
Dr. Hilmar Hofmann
University of Konstanz, Limnological Institute
e-mail: hilmar.hofmann@uni-konstanz.de
Tel.: +49-7531-88-3232
Spatial distribution patterns and emissions of methane in small lakes
Methane is a climate-relevant trace gas that accounts for ~20% of the greenhouse effect. Lakes are important components of the global carbon cycle by releasing methane to the atmosphere and in particular have been identified as an important source of atmospheric methane in the global methane budgets.
The project focuses on the relation between the spatiotemporal distribution and distribution patterns of dissolved methane in and between selected, small lakes to abiotic conditions (e.g., geographic location, tropic state, sediment properties and historic development of the lakes).
Several short-lasting field surveys will be conducted on the selected small lakes to measure the spatiotemporal distribution of dissolved methane and abiotic conditions of the lakes. The experiments will cover a broad range of physical as well as biogeochemical measurements with techniques and instrumentation that are well established in our working group.
The thesis involves field and lab work. In specific, several short-lasting field surveys on the small lakes, the analysis of water samples via GC, and the analysis and interpretation of the measured data sets collected by the field devices.
Contact:
Dr. Hilmar Hofmann
University of Konstanz, Limnological Institute
e-mail: hilmar.hofmann@uni-konstanz.de
Tel.: +49-7531-88-3232
Seasonal changes in the diel vertical migration of Chaoborus larval instars
Contact:
Dr. Hilmar Hofmann
University of Konstanz, Limnological Institute
e-mail: hilmar.hofmann@uni-konstanz.de
Tel.: +49-7531-88-3232
Student assistants
We are lokking regularly for student assistants working on data evaluation and field work of our current research.
- Dynamics, distribution patterns, and emissions of methane in lakes
- Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of plankton
- Measurements and dynamic modelling of surface waves and implications in lake littoral zones
- Modelling of transport and mixing in lakes
- Interactions between physical and biological processes: spatial and temporal dynamics
Interested?
Please contact: hilmar.hofmann@uni-konstanz.de