PhD in Numerical Modeling of Saltwater Intrusion in the Coastal Aquifers of Roussillon University of Montpellier in France

PhD opportunity at the University of Montpellier / Geosciences Montpellier on the numerical modeling of saltwater intrusion in the coastal aquifers of the Roussillon region (France).

The project is centered on hydrogeology, groundwater flow, coastal aquifers, and the impact of climate change and sea-level rise on freshwater resources. The research will focus on the Plio-Quaternary aquifer of Roussillon, using existing software such as Modflow-Seawat and other Darcy-based codes to build hydrodynamic models, estimate medium properties through inversion of field data, and develop physical models that account for sea and meteorological forcing.

The PhD is hosted at Geosciences Montpellier, affiliated with the Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers OREME, and the student will join the TMP team and work within the Hydrosystems research axis. The thesis is supervised by Delphine Roubinet and Frédéric Bouchette, with co-supervision from Yvan Caballero and Yohann Cousquer. The project also involves collaborations with other researchers and water-resource stakeholders in the Roussillon plain.

Funding is provided through the HYDRAUMATH and WISE-Adapt projects. The position is a 36-month contract with an average gross salary of about €2,300/month (around €1,850 net before tax). The student will be employed by the University of Montpellier and enrolled in the GAIA doctoral school.

Preferred background: applied mathematics and/or physics. The call remains open until a hiring decision is made, and the stated application deadline is 2026-05-15. To apply, send a CV and academic transcripts directly to the listed supervisors by email.