University of Rennes

About us:
Géosciences Rennes is a CNRS/University of Rennes laboratory with about 60 full-time researchers having a broad range of expertise from geology, geochemistry, geophysics and hydrogeology. The Rennes Water Resources Group, composed of about 15 permanent staff members, is internationally renowned in i) groundwater modelling, ii) lab experiments on heat and solute transport, and iii) on site-characterization of flow, chemical and thermal transport processes in the field. In particular, the group developed a recent expertise in hydrogeophysics and instrumentation to develop low cost sensors, down-hole sensors and multi-physics distributed sensing.

Homepage: https://geosciences.univ-rennes.fr/

The development of fiber optic (FO) technology for distributed sensing opened new opportunities to characterize the spatial and temporal dynamics of hydrological processes. Among the different applications, Active-Distributed Temperature Sensing (ADTS), which involves temperature changes induced by hot water injection or using a heating cable showed the most promising results for characterizing groundwater dynamics. One of the most innovative advances consisted in applying ADTS for characterizing in-situ groundwater fluxes. The possibility to quantify the variability of groundwater fluxes at high spatial and temporal resolution would offer a completely new approach for characterizing groundwater resources and groundwater reservoirs. This approach is expected to have strong implications for improving flow and transport modeling and groundwater remediation. Thus, we are looking for two highly motivated PhDs (or 1 PhD and 1 post-doctoral researcher) to work on this large topic.

In addition to experimentally test and overcome some of the actual experimental limitations, the principal objective of the first project will be to test the capacity of new fiber optic temperature measurement tools to perform distributed flux measurements at very high spatial resolution. The challenge would be to be able to deconvolute temperature measurements and fiber optic deformation measurements in order to acquire data at an unprecedented spatial resolution. This project will be carried out in collaboration with colleagues, experts in fiber optic photonics, from Gustave Eiffel University in Paris. The second project will focus on the characterization of hydraulic properties in porous media through the temporal and spatial measurements of groundwater flow measurements. One of the main objectives will be to assess the information content of groundwater flow measurements. A secondary objective will be to optimize the coupling of optical fiber flow measurements by proposing and testing new devices, which will be deployed and tested on site. This project be carried out in collaboration with colleagues from INRS Québec.

Your qualifications:

• A master degree in Earth Science, Hydrogeology, Geophysics or Civil Engineering (or a PhD if applying for a post-doctoral position).
• Experience with computer programming /scripting (Matlab, Python, ..)
• A high level of competence in oral and written English
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate excellent collaborative skills.
• Willingness to travel internationally for several months including carrying out remote field-work in Quebec, completing laboratory work in Paris and/or Strasbourg and attending conferences in Europe and in the USA

Benefits:

• Wide range of stimulating activities in an ambitious and research-oriented team
• Flexible working hours
• 5 to 6 full weeks of vacations/year
• A friendly working environment at Geosciences Rennes
• Individual support in preparation for a career in science or industry
• Support for international students in relocating to Rennes through the CMI service

Contact:
To apply, please contact Olivier.Bour@univ-rennes.fr who will provide more detailed information on the application submission portal. Applicants may already provide the following documents in English language, possibly compiled into a single PDF file, to Olivier.Bour@univ-rennes.fr :

• Cover letter explaining your motivation to do a PhD (or a post-doc) in this field.
• A CV
• A writing-sample, such as a masters or bachelor thesis or similar (term paper, published article, etc.)
• Contact information of two references
• Copies of your Bachelor and Master degrees with transcripts
  Review of applications will begin early May, 2025, and will continue until the positions are filled. The anticipated start date is between July 1 and October 1, 2025.