PhD Studentship - Towards Near Real-time Quantification of Fossil Fuel Emissions, CASE project with The National Physical Laboratory

Primary Supervisor: Dr Penelope Pickers

Scientific Background:

Successful implementation of the Paris agreement relies on countries’ emissions being accurately known and readily available, but our ability to evaluate fossil fuel CO2 (ffCO2) emissions is currently limited.  

‘Bottom-up’ emissions estimates, based on inventory-style accounting and mobile tracking data, can differ significantly from each other at policy-relevant scales, while ‘top-down’ estimates, based on atmospheric measurements and modelling, are hampered by large natural fluxes of CO2 between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere (1).  

Research Methodology: 

The primary objective of this PhD studentship is to develop near real-time capability for top-down ffCO2 quantification, based on synchronous changes in atmospheric CO2 and oxygen (O2) measurements, in combination with complementary tracers such as Radon. Using new data products of fossil fuel O2 and CO2 emission ratios and new measurements from the Weybourne Atmospheric Observatory (weybourne.uea.ac.uk) and the Heathfield Tall Tower in the UK, you will:  

• Disentangle atmospheric signals into anthropogenic and natural processes (1, 2) to quantify ffCO2, making use of other tracers such as Radon (5); 
• Investigate O2 and CO2 fossil fuel emissions ratios for the UK (3); 
• Work towards near real-time top-down ffCO2 emissions reporting for the UK; 
• Use your new ffCO2 knowledge to re-evaluate land and ocean carbon sink partitioning and investigate carbon budget imbalances (4).  

Training:

We will provide extensive 1-to-1 training in: 

• High-precision atmospheric O2 and CO2 measurement; 
• Measurement of related tracers (e.g., Radon); 
• Programming (e.g., R, Python) for advanced atmospheric time-series analyses, including machine learning; 
• Skills for presenting research at scientific conferences and writing peer-reviewed papers. 

This PhD includes 3-6 months spent at the UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL), for research-led training on inferring CO2 emissions using atmospheric datasets and atmospheric modelling.  

There is also the opportunity for a 1-3 month research visit in Wellington, New Zealand, working with state-of-the-art CarbonWatch-NZ data (niwa.co.nz/climate/research-projects/carbon-watch-nz). Attendance at summer schools, such as the National Centre for Atmospheric Science summer school (ncas.ac.uk/study-with-us/atmospheric-measurement-summer-school), will provide additional training and networking opportunities. 

Person Specification: 

We seek an enthusiastic team player with strong interest in the carbon cycle and climate change, self-motivation and numerical skills.  

Entry Requirements:

At least UK equivalence Bachelors (Honours) 2:1. English Language requirement (Faculty of Science equivalent: IELTS 6.5 overall, 6 in each category). 

Acceptable first degree: environmental sciences, physics, chemistry, natural sciences, engineering, or another subject in a similar area. 

Start date: 1^st October 2026

Funding

ARIES studentships are subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend (£20,780 p.a. for 2025/26) and a research training and support grant (RTSG). A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note, however, that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.

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