Postdoctoral Research position – Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique

We seek a physical oceanographer to join the Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale, Ifremer in Brest (France). The goal of the project is to investigate the role of the ocean dynamics (specifically within the Arctic Basin) for the variations of the freshwater exports from the Arctic to the North Atlantic. The work will be based on the analysis of numerical simulations performed with a high-resolution regional model at 1/12° based on the NEMO/LIM3 modeling platform, as well as available observations (satellite products and in-situ observations).

Contract: 24 months (Initial one-year contract, with a second year contingent on mutual satisfaction.)

Starting date: between March and June 2017

How to apply – Please make sure that you meet the criteria listed below Application (detailed CV, letter of motivation, list of publications, name/email of at least 2 referees) and/or informal enquiries should be directed to Camille Lique (camille.lique@ifremer.fr )

Closing date: 15 January 2017

Who can apply:

A PhD in physical oceanography, meteorology, climate science, or geophysical fluid dynamics is required, with skills in numerical modeling or model output analysis. Knowledge in statistics, experience in programming with Matlab, Python…

Experience in Arctic research would be an asset. Motivated candidate, good capacity to work in a team. Ability to communicate and write in English.

Additionally, the candidate must fulfill the following criteria:

• The candidate must be under 35 years old on December 31, 2016.
• The candidate must not be a French citizen AND/OR must have spent at least 12 months abroad over the past 3 years.
• The candidate cannot have beneficiated from a PhD studentship from Ifremer.

Details on the project

How does the ocean dynamics drive the variability of the Arctic freshwater exports The Arctic Ocean has been experiencing some of the most rapid transformations on the planet over the past few decades: Sea ice is melting, temperatures are warming, and there has been an increase in precipitation and river run-off into the Arctic Ocean. It has resulted in change of the freshwater accumulation in the surface layer of the Arctic Ocean. Arctic freshwater storage is known to vary on a range of timescales, but the impact of this variability on the export of freshwater from the Arctic Ocean into the North Atlantic is not clear, despite the fact that changes in the export fluxes have the potential to significantly influence global ocean circulation and climate via their impact on the dense water formation and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.

We propose to explore the ocean dynamics that relate freshwater accumulation and release in the Arctic interior to freshwater export. We will focus on the mechanisms via which freshwater is exchanged between the interior of the Arctic and its boundary currents, and the extent to which this is transmitted to Arctic Ocean gateways. To that aim, the postdoc will analyze a series of original numerical simulations performed with a high-resolution regional model at 1/12° based on the NEMO/LIM3 modeling platform and possibly some observations (satellite products, in-situ observations…), in order to identify the physical processes important for the Arctic freshwater system.

Context:

The postdoc will contribute to the project FREDY (FReshwater Export DYnamics), funded by the French LEFE program. The project is led by Camille Lique (LOPS) and involves collaborations with teams from Mercator-Océan, Environment-Canada and the LGGE (Grenoble), as well as contributions from scientists from the University of Oxford (UK). The postdoc will strongly benefit from these different collaborations, and is expected to collaborate closely Dr Helen Johnson (University of Oxford). Moreover, the project is a contribution to the GDRI Drakkar (https://www.drakkarocean.eu ), in which several scientists and engineers from LOPS are strongly involved (Anne-Marie Tréguier, Claude Talandier). The postdoc will also be involved in the newly developed “axe transverse polaire” at LOPS.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

Name *

E-mail *

Website