Postdoctoral Research Assistant/Fellow – full time

The post

The Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate or Fellow to participate in the NERC funded Clim-Citi project (Climate Change Impact on Midlatitude Cyclone Intensity, Tracks, and Impacts), which examines the processes associated with climate model representation of extratropical cyclones and how they will change in the future.

Extratropical cyclones in the North Atlantic storm track region cause billions of Euros of damage each year due to their strong winds and extreme rainfall. According to the sixth IPCC assessment report (AR6) there is still low confidence in projected changes in the North Atlantic storm track. This uncertainty is partly due to the representation of storm tracks in climate models, and limits the ability of governments and industry to make decisions regarding climate adaptation. In order to make progress, we need to change our approach and evaluate not only the average storm track locations and ETC intensity distributions, but also the key structural features and intensification mechanisms of the individual ETCs that constitute the storm tracks. The goal of this project is evaluate storm track locations, storm intensities, structural features and intensification mechanisms, to determine the reliable aspects of the models, the relevance of model resolution, and what needs to be improved through model development, to ultimately provide better projections of the storm tracks in future climates.

The successful applicant with work under the immediate supervision of Prof Jennifer Catto and Prof David Stephenson, as part of a larger project with partners at the University of Reading, the Met Office, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

This NERC funded post is available immediately for up to 2 years, although the start date is negotiable.

The successful applicant will:

• Quantify and evaluate the processes controlling the development, lifecycles, and characteristics of ETCs in observations and climate models and how these processes may change in a future warmer world.
• Apply process-based model evaluation techniques to datasets of large numbers of ETCs.
• Provide relevant information to end-users (e.g., reinsurance companies, the Environment Agency) regarding future changes in ETCs and their impacts.
• Highlight processes within climate models that need to be further developed by modelling groups such as the UK Met Office.

About you

The successful applicant will be able to develop research objectives, conduct original research, write publications, and give presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess (or be close to completing) a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study (e.g. Physics, Mathematics/Statistics, Meteorology/Climate Science). The successful applicant will have recognised expertise in meteorology or climate/environmental science. They will possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research programmes and methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will have knowledge of the dynamics of midlatitude weather systems, and be able to analyse large data sets.

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