Greenland Ice Ocean Modeller

Greenland Ice Ocean Modeller

BAS - British Antarctic Survey

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Background/Overview:

Purpose:

We are seeking a Greenland Ice-Ocean Modeller to investigate the impacts of meltwater from the Greenland Ice Sheet on the North Atlantic ocean and global climate system. There is concern that Greenland ice loss, in response to climate change, could freshen the surrounding ocean to the point where convection in the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre collapses. This outcome would have wide-ranging impacts on climate, ecosystems, and the economy, particularly for the UK and Europe.

In this post, you will improve the representation of ice-ocean interactions for the Greenland Ice Sheet in the UK Earth System Model (UKESM). UKESM is the first CMIP-class global climate model to have dynamic ice sheets coupled to both the atmosphere and the ocean. However, ice sheet-ocean coupling in Greenland currently neglects frontal ablation of glaciers in unresolved fjords. You will implement this capability in UKESM, leading the development of meltwater release into the NEMO ocean component, while other team members will provide melting parameterisations for the fjords. You will then use the improved model to study the climate impacts of Greenland meltwater. There is plenty of flexibility to shape the research questions to suit your interests, within the scope of the project.

Through this post you will contribute to PROMOTE (Progressing Earth System Modelling for Tipping Point Early Warning Systems), a UK-wide ARIA-funded project using UKESM to study the potential future collapse of the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre. You will also collaborate with GIANT (Greenland Ice sheet to AtlaNtic Tipping points from ice loss), an ARIA project based at BAS with collaborators worldwide, investigating Greenland melting using both models and observations. At BAS you will join our Polar Oceans team, an internationally renowned group of oceanographers studying high-latitude oceans and their interactions with the cryosphere.

Duties:

• Collaborate with team members at BAS, the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, and the UK Met Office to advance Greenland ice sheet-ocean coupling in the UK Earth System Model
• Lead the development of Greenland meltwater fluxes entering the ocean model (NEMO) at depth, corresponding to the locations of fjords
• Design, run, and analyse sensitivity simulations to separate the impacts of different Greenland melting processes on the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre and the global climate
• Present model developments and scientific results in peer-reviewed literature and at conferences

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

Qualifications:

First degree in physical science or mathematics, plus PhD or equivalent experience

Practical Skills:

• Experience configuring and running ocean models
• Experience analysing ocean model output

Technical Skills:

• Experience in the numerical solution of partial differential equations
• Experience with Linux
• Experience with compiled parallel code (e.g. Fortran)
• Experience with interpreted analysis code (e.g. Python)

Communication Skills:

• Proficient in written and spoken English
• Strong track record of publication in high-quality journals (assessed relative to career stage and opportunity)
• Excellent scientific writing skills and proven ability to independently write first-author papers
• Track record of presentation at international conferences

Personal Skills:

• Proven ability to independently develop research questions (assessed relative to career stage)
• Ability to prioritise tasks to efficiently deliver science
• Ability to adapt research questions as circumstances evolve
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Enthusiasm and drive for independent scientific research

Desirable:

• Experience developing ocean models
• Knowledge of ice-ocean interactions
• Experience with models used in the project
• Experience applying statistical methods