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Jobs: USGS Staff Position, Postdocs

Date: 10/10/2017

Dear SCEC Community,

Please see below regarding the following job announcements:

1. Research Position in Statistical Seismology at the USGS in Pasadena, CA
2. Explore a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Michigan
3. Computational Geophysics Postdoctoral Scholar Position

Regards,

SCEC Information

1. Research Position in Statistical Seismology at the USGS in Pasadena, CA:
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The U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Science Center (ESC) seeks to fill a research position at the GS-13 level in the areas of statistical seismology and operational earthquake forecasting.

The successful applicant will use statistical and seismological data analysis techniques to gain new physical insights into processes controlling earthquake nucleation, rupture, and effects of natural and induced earthquakes. Research conducted in this position will contribute to the development of operational earthquake forecasting capabilities and improve the accuracy of earthquake probability forecasts, such as the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF) and the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps. Extensive experience with earthquake probability modeling and aftershock forecasting is required.

Applications for this vacancy must be received online via USAJOBS before COB, Thursday, October 19, 2017. A full description of the job opening, qualifications and instructions on how to apply can be found at: http://www.usajobs.gov.

The vacancy announcement number is SAC-2017-0332. U.S. citizenship is required.

2. Explore a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Michigan:
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We would like to invite students to participate in a Fall Preview event designed to interest and inform students about Ph.D. studies in Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. We’re holding this event for talented junior and senior undergraduates and master’s students, particularly those from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. Students in the Earth and Environmental Sciences, and from associated fields including but not limited to Chemistry, Biology, Math and Physics are all encouraged to apply.

The event, organized in conjunction with the Department of Astronomy, will run from Thursday evening to Saturday morning, November 16-18, 2017. Participants will explore the research areas encompassed by the Michigan Earth and Environmental Sciences program, meet one-on-one with faculty and current graduate students, see faculty and graduate students present their research, and socialize with members of the program. A graduate admissions workshop and University of Michigan campus tour with other prospective students will round out the event.

For more information visit this website about the Fall Preview event where students can find the on-line application form.

The application deadline is October 12, 2017. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis. Travel, lodging, and on-campus meals of the students who attend will be fully paid.

Best regards,
Yihe Huang

3. Computational Geophysics Postdoctoral Scholar Position:
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Website: https://lbl.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=84087

Position Summary:

Berkeley Lab’s Energy Geosciences Division has an opening for a Computational Geophysics Postdoctoral Scholar. You will take a leading role in the development of advanced seismic full-waveform inversion software for recovering regional scale and high-resolution local scale geophysical properties of the subsurface using dense seismic network data. You will participate in a multi-disciplinary team developing advanced simulation and high-resolution seismic inversion capabilities that will run on very large supercomputers. You will work with project scientists on the design of the adjoint state full-waveform inversion algorithm, and lead the code development and integration into SW4, a high-performance parallel finite difference code for large-scale seismic simulations written in C++/MPI/OpenMP. This is a 2-year position, and is funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) Exascale Computing Project.

What You Will Do:

Contribute to the algorithm design of an efficient visco-elastic full waveform inversion capability utilizing LLNL’s SW4 FDTD simulation code base.
Develop associated full waveform inversion C++/MPI/OpenMP code base for use on supercomputers using modern coding practices, including modular design and unit tests.
Apply full waveform inversion capability to regional and local scale earthquake and ambient noise data to recover high-resolution velocity structure around the Bay Area.
Produce peer-reviewed archival publications, conference papers, detailed technical reports, and participate in interactions with the external DOE community stakeholders to transition technology developments to application.
Additional Responsibilities as needed:

The Fellow will participate in the preparation and delivery of briefings and presentations to the DOE sponsoring offices.

What is Required:

PhD or equivalent experience in computational geophysics, computational physics, or computational mathematics.
Prior experience in the theory and design of full-waveform inversion techniques and their implementation on parallel computer architectures.
Knowledgeable in the mathematical theory of the adjoint state method for the elastic and anelastic wave equations, and have a working knowledge of numerical optimization approaches.
Ability to write clean, modular and unit-tested scientific code for parallel computer systems in C++/MPI.
Demonstrated record of high-quality research contributions, and demonstrated experience and enthusiasm for full-waveform seismic modeling and inversion.
Good communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a highly-integrated and interactive team from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
Excellent written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to write reports, conference papers, and refereed journal articles synthesizing research results, and to present research findings in conferences, workshops, and other forums.
Ability to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of geophysicists and engineers.
Working knowledge of numerical optimization, including the adjoint state approach, linear algebra, partial differential equations, numerical methods, C++, elastic wave propagation and continuum mechanics.
The posting shall remain open until the position is filled, however for full consideration, please apply by close of business on November 30, 2017.

This is a full time, 2 years, postdoctoral appointment with the possibility of renewal based upon satisfactory job performance, continuing availability of funds and ongoing operational needs. You must have less than 3 years paid postdoctoral experience. Salary for Postdoctoral positions depends on years of experience post-degree.