Oppotunities

Title

Response of Antarctic sea ice to climate change

Description

Antarctic sea ice has remained fairly insensitive to climate change throughout the satellite period. Yet, over the past 5 years, Antarctic summer sea ice has reached several record minimum extents. Looking into the future, climate model-based projections robustly predict a decline of Antarctic sea ice. Among the many processes that could play a role in this decline is the poleward heat transport by the ocean mesoscale eddies and meanders. Describing and quantifying the impact of these processes on sea ice is a challenge due to the difficulty and cost of sampling the ocean at high frequency in these remote regions.

The PhD candidate is expected to investigate the role of mesoscale oceanic processes on the variability and pattern of present and future Antarctic sea ice. The work will involve the use of a range of numerical ocean model configurations at eddying resolutions from idealized to realistic. High performance computing resources are available at a Compute Canada HPC center to run high-resolution simulations. In-situ and satellite observations will also be used.

The student will be part of a dynamic group of graduate students and postdocs working on the role of polar oceans in the climate at McGill University. The student will also collaborate with local and foreign partners.

Desirable skills and background

- Background in mathematics and physics required.

- Background or prior research experience in physical oceanography desired.

- Experience in Python or similar programming languages is a plus.

Date

Starting September 2022

Location

The department of Atmospheric and Oceanic sciences is located at McGill University, an English-speaking university located in Montreal, one of North America’s most cosmopolitan cities. For more information about McGill University and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, please see http://www.mcgill.ca/meteo.

Equity and diversity

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. Hence, all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

If you are interested in this position, please send a cover letter explaining how your interests and background would make you a suitable candidate; and a CV including contact information from 2 references by April 15^th 2022 to Carolina Dufour (carolina.dufour@mcgill.ca). Evaluation will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.