Graduate Opportunities

The Arctic region has been geologically active for the last 500+ Myr, with repeated opening and destruction of oceans alongside massive intrusive and extrusive volcanic and magmatic events. Although repeated episodes of rifting have been documented in the region, a fundamental understanding of the geodynamic processes involved is lacking. This project seeks motivated students to produce, for the first time, detailed numerical simulations of the tectonic evolution of the Arctic Ocean from first principles. The successful applicant will work on this high-profile project alongside international collaborators from the University of Oslo (Norway) and Durham University (UK).

For more information, please contact Professor Phil Heron. The overall goal of the research group is to make graduate students employable. Graduate training with this project includes becoming an expert in a (highly employable) transferable skill (e.g., computational simulations) and also to be able to effectively communicate to diverse audiences.

A PhD position is available for a project using coralline algal geochemistry to study paleoclimates and sea-ice change in the Arctic. Students with a background in Geoscience, Bioscience or Climate Physics are encouraged to apply.

Contact Professor Jochen Halfar for details ahead of deadline.

Development of molecular markers for the study of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry

Plants, microbes, and anthropogenic organic sources have distinct molecular fingerprints which can be used to monitor a number of environmental processes throughout the biogeosphere. This project will aim to develop and apply these methods to study: carbon and nitrogen cycling, fluxes of terrestrial carbon into marine systems, and paleoclimatic reconstruction in Arctic Lake sediments.

For more information, please contact Professor Myrna Simpson or visit the Myrna Simpson Group.

A graduate research assistantship is available to pursue research in microorganism– mineral interactions, to evaluate the role of bacterial extracellular polymers to precipitation carbonates and iron minerals in biofilms combining microscopic and spectroscopic methods and field studies. The student will join a research group working on several funded projects focusing on biogeochemistry of phototrophic and heterotrophic bacteria in aquatic systems.

Contact Professor Maria Dittrich for information.

We seek a motivated individual with a background in Paleoceanography, Chemical Oceanography, or Earth SyDepartmente for an exciting PhD position in our research group. Dive into the fascinating realm of carbon and sulfur biogeochemical cycling and its impact on seawater chemistry and carbon dioxide levels!

Our group investigates the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and sulfur and how it affects seawater chemistry through time. We use the Python-based Earth Science Modeling Toolkit to explore, e.g., how changes in the weathering burial fluxes of sulfur affect the marine carbonate system (i.e., atmospheric CO₂, the CCD, etc.). Current projects explore, e.g., how the oxidation of sedimentary pyrite during glacial sea-level lowstands contributes to glacial terminations or how large-scale fluctuations in seawater sulfate concentrations affect organic matter remineralization and nutrient cycling. While knowledge of Python is beneficial, it’s not a requirement.

Our research group is associated with the interdisciplinary Center for Global Change Science. We encourage students to take advantage of the numerous professional development opportunities offered through the University (e.g., leadership training, EDI awareness, outreach opportunities, etc.), as well as to participate in subject-specific international summer schools (e.g., IODP summer school on “Past Global Change Reconstruction and Modeling Techniques”).

Located in Toronto, North America’s fourth largest city (after Los Angeles), you’ll benefit from a diverse and vibrant city, excellent public transport, and a lively cultural scene. Our department is committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and my research group provides a safe and inclusive working environment, irrespective of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. The advertised position can accommodate various physical disabilities and can be structured to accommodate caregiver obligations. We particularly invite students from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to black and indigenous applicants, and the University of Toronto provides various bursaries to support equity on campus. Read more about Equity on Campus.

The position is fully funded for four years, including medical coverage and benefits, with a starting date of September 1, 2024. Apply by consulting the departmental application requirements, and contact the PI (include a CV, GPA, and unofficial transcripts) well before the application deadline (January 1, 2024). Examples of recent research projects in our group can be found on Professor Wortmann's faculty profile.

Landscapes are shaped by lithologic contrasts, tectonic uplift, and the erosive forces of rivers, glaciers, and landslides. In addition to the timely opportunity listed below, I am looking for PhD students to investigate this tectonic geomorphology and landscape evolution in general, and am open to project ideas that involve fieldwork, GIS, and cosmogenic nuclide dating. For more information, please contact Professor Lindsay Schoenbohm or visit Professor Schoenbohm's website. 

PhD opportunity in tectonics/tectonic geomorphology

We are looking for a PhD student for an NSF and NSERC funded project investigating the tectonic evolution of the Puna Plateau, Argentina and the potential influence of lithospheric foundering on tectonic deformation. The student will undertake field-focused research involving geologic mapping, structural analyses, measured stratigraphic sections, and geochronology as part of a larger, multi-disciplinary project to constrain the tectonic evolution of the Puna Plateau. The position is at the University of Toronto Department of Earth Sciences and will be co-advised by Lindsay Schoenbohm (UTM) and Alex Tye (Utah Tech University). The student will also interact closely with project co-PIs and collaborators Marissa Tremblay (Purdue), Joyce Sim and Mitchell McMillan (Georgia Tech), and Patricio Payrola (Universidad Nacional de Salta). Applications are due January 15, 2024. Interested candidates should contact Lindsay Schoenbohm (lindsay.schoenbohm@utoronto.ca) to discuss the project.

The University of Toronto Mississauga and the Schoenbohm Research Group are strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcome applications from racialized persons/persons of color, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Graduate research opportunities are available in the area of computational seismology with applications to full-waveform inversions of continental-scale and regional scale tectonic structures, as well as microseismic and induced earthquake source characterizations. Contact Professor Qinya Liu.

Looking for motivated graduate students to work on environmental geophysics projects related to cryosphere (e.g., permafrost dynamics, lake ice properties, and snow hydrology) and groundwater processes using a combination of non-invasive field geophysical methods, geophysical modeling, remote sensing, and laboratory measurements. For more information, please contact Professor Rodrigo Rangel.

Studies of the origin, residence times and geochemical signatures of deep crustal fluids and the subsurface microbial communities that are sustained by water-rock reactions in the deep Earth.

Contact Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar.

Visit the Sherwood Lollar Research group for the most up-to-date information about their current research.

Studies of hydrocarbon contaminants in groundwater using field, laboratory, and modelling applications of compound specific (carbon and hydrogen) isotope analysis (CSIA)

Contact Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar.

Visit the Sherwood Lollar Research group for the most up-to-date information about their current research.

Graduate research opportunities in the area of experimental petrology/magmatic salts for both PhD and Masters students.

Earth’s lithosphere is dominated by silicate minerals and melts. Low abundance, non-silicate phases, however, often host the most dramatic element enrichments. Best studied of these are sulfide melts, which can concentrate chalcophile (sulfur-loving) elements by factors of >10,000 relative to coexisting silicate melts. Less well understood are molten salts, such as sulfates, phosphates, and fluorides. Molten salts are known to strongly fractionate lithophile (rock-loving) elements from each other and, in extreme cases, completely exclude some elements. The unique chemistry of these melts, and recent discoveries regarding their role in economic deposits, makes them exciting candidates for further study.

I anticipate graduate research opportunities in the area of experimental petrology/magmatic salts for both PhD and Masters students starting in the 2022 academic year. Please contact Professor Neil Bennett or visit Professor Bennett's website for further information about possible projects.

Please note that the Deptartment of Earth Sciences is not currently accepting international masters students. Learn more about the application process by consulting the departmental application requirements.

One graduate student position is available for research on urban hydrology.

Quantifying the proportion of raw wastewater and wastewater effluent in streamflow is a rapidly evolving area of research. The proposed research aims to understand temporal changes in stream biogeochemistry associated with sanitary and combined sewer overflows, leveraging high-resolution data from a multiparameter water-quality sonde (temperature, pH/oxidation-reduction potential, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, fluorescent dissolved organic matter) and stream water samples collected from an automatic sampler. These data will be used to explore exports from wastewater systems to streamflow to make inferences for urban water quality management. The outcomes of this research will enhance our conceptual understanding of the role of sewer overflows in urban settings and is critical for understanding sanitary and stormwater infrastructure capacity limitations which is particularly important to understand with changing climate regimes and urban development.

For more information contact Professor Sarah Ariano.

PhD and Masters students will work at the intersection of isotope geochemistry and experimental petrology. Students will simulate magmatic conditions in the experimental petrology laboratory and analyze the textural, chemical, and isotopic compositions of the experimental run-products. These experiments will yield fundamental knowledge of the controlling factors that cause chemical and isotopic variations in minerals and rocks. Experimental data will be used to interpret variations observed in nature, through which conclusions about planetary formation and magma movement in active volcanoes will be drawn. Students will have the chance to develop analytical protocols for in-situ isotopic analyses using femtosecond laser ablation MC-ICPMS – a cutting-edge analytical technique that will be unique in Canada.

For more information, contact Professor Corliss Kin I Sio or visit Professor Kin I Sio's website. Please note that our department does not accept international masters students. Learn more about the application process by consulting the departmental application requirements.

Graduate research opportunities are available in understanding the impact of the formation of a supercontinent on our planet.

A supercontinent is generally considered to reflect the assembly of most, if not all, of the Earth’s continental lithosphere. However, there is no formal definition of how much continental material is required to be assembled, or indeed which additional ‘geomarkers’ of supercontinent formation (e.g., crustal growth, life evolution, climate and sea level change, etc) need to be present. Recent work has suggested the response of the mantle can be used as a proxy for supercontinent classification, in that the size of continental amalgamation must be sufficient to influence mantle dynamics. For this project, we seek dynamic graduate students to investigate the size of continental lithosphere required to produce an impact on ‘bottom­up’ dynamics from the convective mantle using 3D numerical modelling with high performance computing. Although this work is rooted in numerical modelling, the graduate student will work across disciplines to analyse available ‘geomarker’ data. The successful applicant will work alongside domestic and international collaborators which include the University of Oslo (Norway), Monash University (Australia), and St Francis-Xavier University (Canada).

For more information, please contact Professor Phil Heron. The overall goal of the research group is to make graduate students employable. Graduate training with this project includes becoming an expert in a (highly employable) transferable skill (e.g., computational simulations) and also to be able to effectively communicate to diverse audiences.

Do you have a Marine Geology/Oceanography/Paleoceanography background, an interest in data science/modeling? Are you looking for MSc or a PhD project? I mainly use python based models to understand how changes in the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and sulfur affect ocean chemistry. My group tackles questions like, how do glacial/interglacial sea-level changes affect marine productivity? How does climate change affect oxygen availability in the ocean? See Professor Wortmann's faculty profile for recent papers and recorded talks. My research team is a small, welcoming group committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. All positions are fully funded.

One graduate student position is available for research on paleoecology of temperate or boreal/sub-arctic peatlands using microfossil indicators and reconstructions of carbon fluxes over the Holocene and Pleistocene Epochs. Applicants should have a degree in Earth Science, Physical Geography, Environmental Science, Ecology or related discipline and applicable research experience. Contact Professor Sarah Finkelstein.

Projects are available for motivated graduate students to work on mineralogical and geochemical projects related to martian meteorites, rare achondrites and carbonaceous chondrite projects. Carbonaceous chondrite projects are preparing for the OSIRIS-REx mission to return material from Bennu. Contact Professor Kim Tait.

An MSc research opportunity is available to unravel the elusive mechanism involved in the formation of oroclines.

An orocline is a large-scale bend (or curvature) of an orogenic (mountain building) belt. The geological discovery of such bending of mountain belts was key to understanding the evolution of continents, and indeed of the theory of plate tectonics itself. However, the fundamental mechanics of orocline formation are not well constrained. This project seeks an MSc student to test potential theories and mechanism through high performance computing. The successful applicant will work alongside domestic and international collaborators which include the University of Alberta (Canada) and University of Granada (Spain).

For more information, please contact Professor Phil Heron. The overall goal of the research group is to make graduate students employable. Graduate training with this project includes becoming an expert in a (highly employable) transferable skill (e.g., computational simulations) and also to be able to effectively communicate to diverse audiences.

Graduate research opportunities are available in understanding the impact of earthquakes away from plate boundaries (intraplate)

Although earthquakes primarily happen on or near modern plate boundaries, a small number occur within stable continental interiors (intra-plate earthquakes). Earthquakes that are even less frequent are ‘deep’ intra-plate earthquakes, which occur at a depth greater than 20 km. The understanding of why modern deep intra-plate earthquakes occur is a major challenge given their infrequency and location from the surface. A hypothesis is that deep latent structures related to ancient plate boundaries could reactivate, and potentially trigger shallower earthquakes. However, this hypothesis has never been formally tested with respect to recent earthquake events. For this project, the successful student will first learn about earthquake dynamics and hazard analysis, and then use data science techniques to review the historical earthquake catalogue to identify any trends linking deep and shallow events (focusing on events in Eastern Canada and Central China). The work will use data science techniques to try and create an advanced visualization platform (e.g., an interactive map) and will also look to further the skillset of the applicant in the art of science communication. We seek applicants with an interest in earthquakes, plate tectonics, data science, and communication to join Prof P. Heron’s team for an MSc or PhD. For more information, please contact Professor Phil Heron.

The long-term goal of the Bergquist research program is to use Hg isotopes in improve our understanding of the Hg biogeochemical cycle and to develop Hg isotopes as a proxy of past environmental changes. Mercury is a globally distributed metal that bioaccumulates in aquatic food webs leading to dangerous exposure to humans and wildlife. Mercury is often emitted the atmosphere in its reduced form, gaseous elemental Hg (GEM), by both primary natural (e.g. volcanic, hydrothermal) and anthropogenic sources (e.g. artisanal small scale gold mining, coal burning) and by secondary re-emissions from the ocean and soils. GEM is relatively stable and has a long residence time (~0.5 to 1 yr), which allows it to be distributed globally. Despite decades of research, many knowledge gaps hinder our understanding of both the modern and past Hg cycle and make it challenging to predict how changes in emissions and climate will affect the Hg cycle along with limiting our ability to utilize Hg and Hg isotopes as proxies of past environmental change. For example a recent assessment of GEM exchange to and from terrestrial surfaces highlighted that very large uncertainties still exist over the controls and fluxes of GEM especially in forested ecosystems to the point that hinders our ability to determine whether some ecosystems are net sources or sinks of Hg. Another area that is heatly debated is the relative contribution of different sources of Hg to the atmosphere such as coal combustion and artisanal and small scale gold mining at local, regional and global scales.

While mercury isotopic fingerprinting is increasingly recognized as a powerful tool for tracking sources of mercury, its application to atmospheric source tracking is hampered by the difficulty to collect sufficient amounts of mercury from air for reliable isotopic quantification and/or by the possibility of imposing inconsistent levels of fractionation during sampling. Recently, a new highly precise passive air sampler for GEM concentrations was developed (McLagan et al., 2016). This low-cost sampler can collect GEM from air for periods of at least one year, and can collect sufficient mercury for isotopic analysis even at typical background concentrations. The U of Toronto Trace Metal and Metal Isotope Laboratory is seeking a PhD to lay the groundwork for confidently applying the passive Hg sampling technique for atmospheric source identification.

1. Perform a number of laboratory and field experiments to confirm the extent and reproducibility of the mercury isotope composition and potential fractionation occurring during passive sampling.
2. Conduct a reconnaissance of the spatial and temporal variability of the isotopic signature of mercury in the atmosphere.
3. Deploy the passive sampler along transects of increasing distance from known sources of gaseous mercury to establish the extent to which a source’s possible unique isotopic fingerprint fades into the regional background signal by dilution.

For more information, please contact Professors Bridget Bergquist and Barbara Sherwood Lollar.