Global Importance of Sea Ice and Snow for the Atmosphere (GLASOWU15ERC2)

Background:

The sea ice cover of the polar oceans varies strongly with season and in the last decade dramatic declines in Arctic sea ice extent have been observed. Sea ice impacts the flux of greenhouse gases such as CO2 between the ocean and the atmosphere, furthermore there are strong indications that sea ice also influences fluxes of reactive gases between the ocean/ice and the atmosphere. In addition, reactive gases are being exchanged between the atmosphere and snow cover on top of sea ice and on land. A quantification of the importance of these processes for the composition of the atmosphere and radiative forcing has only just begun and many open questions remain regarding the magnitude and even the sign of these fluxes.

Research objectives and methodology:

This studentship is part of a 5-year research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC). In this studentship, the UK community atmospheric chemistry-aerosol global model UKCA will be used. UKCA will be run coupled to an ocean and sea ice model and is currently being integrated in the new coupled UK Earth System model UKESM1. Based on the results of other parts of the ERC project, the production of gases in the ocean, snow and sea ice and their exchange with the atmosphere will be included in UKCA in collaboration with the Met Office and U Cambridge. The goal is to provide a global assessment of the past, present and future roles of sea ice for the composition and chemistry of the atmosphere in polar regions with a focus on the greenhouse gases CO2, CH4 and O3 which act on very different timescales. Furthermore, the role of snow photochemistry (polar and continental) on global atmospheric composition will be quantified.

Requirements

Some background knowledge of atmospheric chemistry, snow photochemistry and/or the Arctic climate system is desirable. This project is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated student with a first degree in a relevant field in physical sciences (including atmospheric sciences, meteorology, oceanography, physics, chemistry) and ideally a background in numerical modelling.

Acceptable first degree, minimum 2:1 in, Physical sciences including atmospheric sciences, meteorology, oceanography, physics, chemistry etc.