A list of current studentships can be found below:
NCEO Postdoctoral Research Assistant at Reading University
There is an opening for a postdoc position in the data-assimilation group at the University of Reading.
PhD Studentship: "Parameter Estimation in Earth System Science: development of a robust method for non-linear model calibration"
The Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol is seeking
to appoint a PhD studentship at the University of Bristol, in:
"Parameter Estimation in Earth System Science: development of a robust
method for non-linear model calibration"
Quantitative parameter estimation through observational data
assimilation techniques is an emerging research field in Earth System
science, which can help to reduce the uncertainties associated with the
model parameters and model predictions. The Carbon Cycle Data
Assimilation System (CCDAS) is a modelling tool that uses such data
assimilation techniques to constrain process parameters in a terrestrial
ecosystem model.
The student will develop a novel approach combining the variational (as
used in CCDAS) method with ensembles methods (e.g. Monte Carlo
technique) to test the robustness of the optimisation. In order to
derive a generic approach this will be done using a hierarchy, in terms
of complexity, of models with a focus of models applied to the
terrestrial carbon cycle (CCDAS).
Please see http://www.gly.bris.ac.uk/admissions/PhDprojects/scholze.html
for further details on the studentship and
http://www.gly.bris.ac.uk/admissions/PhDproj_all.html for general
information on the application.
Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Marko Scholze,
marko.scholze@bristol.ac.uk
Closing date for applications will be 23rd June 2010.
PhD Studentship: Constraining Global Vegetation Models with Earth Observation Data
The School of Geography at the University of Exeter is seeking to appoint a PhD studentship at the University of Exeter, in: "Constraining Global Vegetation Models with Earth Observation Data"
Please see the attached details. Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Tristan Quaife, t.l.quaife@ex.ac.uk.
Closing date for applications will be 11th June 2010.
Full funded PhD Opportunity: Multi-spectral Imaging for Earth Observation
Supervisors: The University of Edinburgh and the UK Astronomy Technology
Centre
The importance of CO2 in understanding Earth's climate is well established. A better quantitative understanding of natural sources and sinks of CO2 is crucial if CO2 mitigation and sequestration activities relying on these natural fluxes are to work effectively.
The main objective of the studentship is to define the specifications for novel space-borne sensors that can achieve the accuracy and precision required to estimate sub-continental CO2 fluxes. This will be achieved using a combination of modelling (CO2 transport modelling, detector modelling, and optical design) and laboratory work.
For further details see: http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/postgraduate/PhD/getDocument?SerialNo=609 or contact Professor Paul Palmer (paul.palmer@ed.ac.uk)
This studentship is funded by the UK Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation and will be available from late September 2010.
PhD Application of EO data to the estimation of representative and adaptive parameterisations in marine ecosystem models
Supervisors: Jerry Blackford and Nick Hardman-Mountford, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and Richard Gelder (University of Essex)Summary
A key limitation of existing ecosystem models is their
inability to adapt to future carbon and climate scenarios, i.e. to vary their
parameterisations beyond the current climate envelope. This PhD will address
this challenge by investigating approaches to implement variable
parameterisations for marine phytoplankton using relationships derived from
satellite EO data. Recent advances in bio-optics and the application of
satellite ocean colour have shown robust relationships between bio-optical traits
(BOT) and bio-energetic (BE) rates, for example pigment and optical absorption
ratios with photosynthetic quantum efficiency (Aiken et al. 2008), optical
absorption with primary production (Marra et al. 2007; Hirata et al, accepted).
The optical properties of the marine environment can be derived from satellite
ocean colour data using inherent optical property (IOP) models (e.g. Smyth et
al. 2006). Furthermore, the bio-optical relationships can also be used to differentiate
phytoplankton size classes and functional types from satellite ocean colour
data (e.g. Aiken et al. 2007; Hirata et al. 2008). This project will investigate
these BE-BOT relationships in the context of different environmental forcing
regimes (temperature, meteorology, nutrients) to develop statistical
distributions that can be used in the estimation of representative and adaptive
parameterisations for photo-physiological rate processes in the modelling of marine
phytoplankton.
Project description
/documents/PhD Proposal - Blackford et al 2009.pdf
Further details from: Jerry Blackford - jcb@pml.ac.uk or Nick Hardman-Mountford - nhmo@pml.ac.uk
