The GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences is one of the world's leading institutions in the field of geosciences. As part of the Helmholtz Association, Germany's largest research organisation, we address global challenges such as natural hazards, climate change and the sustainable use of resources. In doing so, we combine cutting-edge research with social relevance. Our international staff - around 1,200 employees and approx. 500 guests - work in a multidisciplinary way and with a unique infrastructure to research the dynamic processes of the Earth system. Our vision: “Taking the pulse of the Earth to safeguard a habitable planet.”
Doctoral Researcher (f_m_x) - Forest Carbon Attribution from Earth Observation and Atmospheric Constraints
Reference Number 11590
Many countries rely on forests to meet their climate targets, but how much of the forest carbon sink is real, and how much depends on management and disturbance, remains largely unverified. This PhD will combine satellite observations, carbon-cycle models, and atmospheric measurements to build an independent picture of forests’ actual role in the climate.
This position is part of EUFOR-G3W, a Horizon Europe project contributing to the WMO Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W). EUFOR-G3W develops observation- and model-based products to quantify greenhouse-gas sources and sinks at global to national scales.
Within the EUFOR-G3W project, GFZ contributes to the development and application of harmonised Earth Observation (EO) datasets to improve our understanding of forest carbon dynamics. The research focuses on forest biomass, age, disturbance history, and vegetation productivity, as well as their integration into the FLUXCOM-X empirical flux upscaling framework to better represent managed and recovering forests.
The successful candidate will investigate how forest management, disturbances, and recovery processes influence the land CO₂ budget across different spatial and temporal scales. A particular focus will be on combining satellite-based observations with carbon flux estimates and assessing how atmospheric observations can independently constrain these contributions.
The candidate will be supervised by GFZ and Wageningen University and Research (WUR), in collaboration with Max Planck Institut for Biogeochemistry (MPI-BGC) Jena. They will work closely with a second PhD candidate in the group of Wouter Peters at WUR, Netherlands. Together, the two positions form a duo linking observations and models: the GFZ position focuses on translating Earth Observation data into forest carbon information, while the WUR position focuses on forest and atmospheric modelling and data assimilation. Your research will have direct relevance to international climate policy: Your results will feed into operational greenhouse-gas monitoring systems supporting the WMO Global Greenhouse Gas Watch and the Copernicus CO2 monitoring service. You will have access to a unique combination of global forest EO datasets, cloud-native analysis infrastructure, forest ecosystem models, and atmospheric inversion systems. And you will be in close collaboration with leading European groups at WUR and MPI-BGC Jena within the EUFOR-G3W consortium.
Your responsibilities:
- Translate high-resolution EO forest datasets (e.g. biomass, forest age, disturbance) into model-ready inputs for forest and atmospheric models, while preserving key spatial information
- Quantify the contribution of forest management and disturbance to forest CO2 exchange using model simulations constrained by EO data
- Assess how well atmospheric CO2 observations can independently constrain this signal across regions and timescales
- Contribute to improving the representation of managed and recovering forests in data-driven flux products such as FLUXCOM-X
- Derive national forest carbon budgets and compare them with greenhouse-gas inventory reporting
- Publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences and project meetings
About You:
Essential Qualifications:
- An MSc in Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Physical Geography, Atmospheric Sciences, Remote Sensing, or a related quantitative field
- Strong quantitative and data analysis skills
- Proficiency in Python and experience with geospatial or large environmental datasets
- Good written and spoken English
- Ability to work in a collaborative, multi-institutional research environment
Desirable Qualifications:
- Experience in terrestrial carbon cycle science, ecosystem modelling, or Earth Observation of forests
- Familiarity with atmospheric inverse modelling or greenhouse-gas accounting frameworks
- Experience with Xarray, Dask, or cloud-based geospatial data analysis
- Knowledge of national greenhouse-gas inventories or LULUCF accounting
We do not expect applicants to be already experts across all three disciplines — Earth Observation, forest modelling, and atmospheric inversions. The position is specifically designed to bridge them.
What we offer:
- Ambitious and varied tasks in a dynamic and international research environment
State-of-the-art equipment - Public service benefits
- Extensive training opportunities
- Professional career advice offered by our in-house Career-Centre
- Flexible working hours and conditions
- Support with finding a good work-life balance offered by benefit@work
- Institute day-care centre on sites
- Working at the Albert Einstein Science Park on the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam
- Workplace within walking distance of Potsdam main train station, or just a short ride on the shuttle bus
Fixed-term: 36 months (extension to 4 years possible, subject to funding)
Salary: The position is classed as salary group 13 according to “TVöD Bund”. The salary group is determined on the basis of the Collective Wage Agreement and the respective personal qualifications.
Working hours: Part-time 75% (currently 29.25 h/week)
Place of work: Potsdam
Have we piqued your interest?
The GFZ actively promote diversity and equal opportunities. We explicitly welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of ethnic and social origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and identity, religion/belief, age, and physical or neurodiverse abilities.
“Diversity in perspectives” is one of GFZ's core values. As an integral part of supporting diversity at our centre, we actively promote women in science and in leadership positions. To know more about our Diversity policies, contact the diversity team. If you need more information about our gender equality policies, please do not hesitate to contact our Equal Opportunities Officer and check our Equal Opportunities Plan & Cascade Model.
We look forward to applications from people who enjoy working in diverse teams, where everyone feels respected and valued and can fully develop their own talents. Applicants with severe disabilities and equalised persons will receive preferential consideration if equally qualified.
