Carbon dynamics of peatlands / Fire hazard forecasting in peatlands

Dynamic Peatlands

Carbon dynamics of peatlands

Study how peatlands form and how they are impacted by changes in drainage networks; how peatland growth unfolds in space and time; how to apply insights about hydrogeomorphic processes in wetlands to halt or reverse greenhouse gas emissions in peatlands.  Balance between modeling / numerical work and field work to be developed with the student.

Fire hazard forecasting in peatlands

Predict flammability and fire hazard and peatlands using field data and remote sensing in a Bayesian data assimilation framework.  Balance between modeling / numerical work and field work to be developed with the student.

 

PhD scholarships

Peatland morphology, hydrology and land change
Are you fascinated by how peatlands form and how they are impacted by changes in drainage networks? By how peatland growth unfolds in space and time? Do you want to apply insights about hydrogeomorphic processes in wetlands to halt or reverse greenhouse gas emissions in these vital ecosystems?

Alex Cobb’s lab in the Asian School of the Environment at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore is seeking two motivated candidates who would like to pursue a PhD in morphology, hydrology, land change or carbon balance and dynamics of peatlands.

Benefits

  • Students are funded for the four-year duration of their PhD.
  • Funding is also available for field work and conferences.
  • The Asian School of the Environment is a dynamic and growing school that integrates earth and environmental life science, ecology, engineering and technology, humanities, and the social sciences to address environmental challenges.
  • Our research training environment features some of the most advanced environmental research infrastructure in Southeast Asia.
  • Nanyang Technological University is a large (>35,000 student) university with offerings across the sciences and humanities that is ranked 12th globally in the QS World University Rankings, and 1st amongst the world’s best young universities.
  • Singapore is a modern and vibrant multicultural city-state within easy traveling distance of the fascinating ecosystems of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
  • Our group forms partnerships with other academics, NGOs, and private industry to develop opportunities for real-world impact and a future career.

Please visit the website, Dynamic Peatlands, for information about course application and other related postgraduate programmes available.

 
  • Cobb, A. R., Dommain, R., Yeap, K., Hannan, C., Dadap, N. C., Bookhagen, B., Glaser, P. H., & Harvey, C. F. (2024). A unified explanation for the morphology of raised peatlands. Nature, 625(7993), 79–84. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06807-w
  • Cobb, A. R., Dommain, R., Sukri, R. S., Metali, F., Bookhagen, B., Harvey, C. F., & Tang, H. (2023). Improved terrain estimation from spaceborne lidar in tropical peatlands using spatial filtering. Science of Remote Sensing, 7, 100074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srs.2022.100074
  • Cobb, A. R., & Harvey, C. F. (2019). Scalar Simulation and Parameterization of Water Table Dynamics in Tropical Peatlands. Water Resources Research, 55(11), 9351–9377. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019wr025411
  • Cobb, A. R., Hoyt, A. M., Gandois, L., Eri, J., Dommain, R., Abu Salim, K., Kai, F. M., Haji Su’ut, N. S., & Harvey, C. F. (2017). How temporal patterns in rainfall determine the geomorphology and carbon fluxes of tropical peatlands. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(26). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1701090114

Asst Prof. Alexander Ruggles Cobb

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August 2026 intake (initial application deadline 31st Jan 2026)
4 years