RESEARCHER PROFILE: PhD/ R1: First stage Researcher                  
RESEARCH FIELD(S)1: Geosciences
MAIN SUB RESEARCH FIELD OR DISCIPLINES1: Isotopic Geosciences

JOB /OFFER DESCRIPTION 

Hydroclimatic variability and water management in the northwestern Mediterranean (Provence, SE France): reconstructions from environmental and archaeological carbonate archives from the Quaternary to the present day.

In Mediterranean regions, water availability is a key constraint increasingly pressured by climate change, with profound environmental, socio-economic, and health impacts. Provence (SE France) exemplifies these issues: rainfall has declined, flood intensity increased, and droughts lengthened over recent decades. To anticipate future challenges, investigating past hydroclimatic responses through natural and cultural archives is essential. Speleothems and fluvial tufas are robust proxies for Holocene hydroclimate dynamics, while carbonate deposits in Roman hydraulic structures provide unique insights into ancient water management under climatic stress.

The “Provence Verte” region, especially the upper Argens catchment, offers an exceptional field site with karstic and fluvial systems intertwined with rich archaeological remains (oppida, aqueducts, mills). Laminated carbonates—speleothems, tufas, aqueduct concretions—record environmental (precipitation, temperature) and anthropogenic signals. Speleothems from the Sainte-Baume massif yield continuous climatic archives, with isotopic (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C) and elemental data revealing fine-scale variability and extremes. Upper Argens tufas, still active despite declining carbonate deposition since ~4000 BP, are rare archives of hydrological history. Roman engineering in the region established extensive water networks; studying these, alongside annually laminated carbonates, enables reconstruction of past climate and water use strategies. Historical data from later periods (Middle Ages to Modern times) complement this approach, assessing continuity or change in hydroclimate and societal adaptation.

Funded by AMIDEX, PCR “Plaine de Saint-Maximin,” Arkaïa “TRAGENS,” and the AQUEROM project, this research combines intensive field and laboratory work. Field tasks include detailed geomorphological mapping of alluvial terraces and travertine dams, cave exploration, and targeted sampling of tufas and speleothems. Laboratory analyses encompass morphological and petrographic characterization (binocular, optical, digital, epifluorescence microscopy), lamination counting via micro-XRF and tomography, micro-drilling, U/Th dating with MC-ICPMS, and elemental analyses (ICP-OES, ICP-MS, LA-MC-ICPMS). Stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C) are measured by mass spectrometry in carbonates. Modern waters are analysed for chemical and isotopic composition (electrophoresis, laser spectrometry) to clarify the contemporary hydrogeochemical system. Recent instrumental data (river discharge, precipitation, tree rings) provide calibration points for interpreting carbonate records. This integrated approach aims to reconstruct detailed hydroclimatic history and inform sustainable water management in Mediterranean regions vulnerable to intensified drought.

TYPE OF CONTRACT: TEMPORARY            
JOB STATUS: FULL TIME                              
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 30/11/2025 17:00 Paris time
ENVISAGED STARTING DATE: 01/01/2026
ENVISAGED DURATION: 36 months
JOB NOT FUNDED THROUGH AN EU RESEARCH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME

WORK LOCATION(S): Centre de Recherche et d’Enseignement des Géosciences de l’Environnement (CEREGE), Technopole Environnement Arbois-Méditerranée BP 80, 13004 Aix-en-Provence

QUALIFICATIONS, REQUIRED RESEARCH FIELDS, REQUIRED EDUCATION LEVEL, PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, OTHER RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS 

Master’s degree (MSc or M2) in Geosciences, Geochemistry, Chemistry, or Physical Geography.

Soft skills: Autonomy, Teamwork, Analytical and critical thinking, Listening and observing, Empathy, Flexibility and adaptability, field work capacities.

REQUESTED DOCUMENTS OF APPLICATION, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, SELECTION PROCESS
transcript of marks for the last two years
Master's diploma

HOW TO APPLY 
claude@cerege.fr; olivier.sivan@inrap.fr
charlotte.honiat@orange.fr
bruneton@cerege.fr