Resolving ocean convection: new knowledge for a changing Antarctica

Convection is an important, but poorly understood ocean process. Convection diverts heat away from the melting Antarctic ice shelves by transporting cold and salty water from the ocean surface to depth. This exciting project aims to improve our understanding of the role of convection on the Antarctic margins using a high-resolution, cutting-edge numerical approach. The project outcomes will be new knowledge of the physics from novel numerical models and theory, supported by insights from observations and model parameterisations. This timely research will improve prediction of sea level rise due to a changing Antarctica and enhance our ability to adapt to future climate scenarios. The project has the research focus of Fluid Dynamics, Physical Oceanography and Computational Fluid Dynamics.

The PhD student will perform research on this project with the world-class Fluids Research Group at the University of Melbourne. The University of Melbourne is a leading university in Australia, located in Melbourne which is known as the cultural hub of Australia. The PhD supervisors are Dr Cat Vreugdenhil (ARC DECRA Fellow) and Dr Bishakhdatta Gayen (ARC Future Fellow) and there will be further opportunities for mentorship and training. The project is led by Dr Vreugdenhil and is funded by the Australian Research Council and the University of Melbourne.

The candidate is expected to have completed Masters or Honours in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Oceanography or a closely related discipline. Please use the email function below for further enquiries and information on how to apply. Where possible, please include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, academic transcript, and references for potential recommendations.