Prof G McFiggans, Prof Hugh Coe
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
About the Project
Aerosol particles can act as sites for cloud droplet formation. This is a natural process and vital to the water cycle of the planet, driving the hydrological cycle. However, man-made emissions of particles or their gas phase precursors can alter the number of particles and their properties. This can alter the properties of clouds that form on the particles, influencing precipitation and changing how the clouds interact with incoming solar radiation. To properly account for these effects in climate and numerical weather prediction models it is necessary to improve our knowledge of the correct physical processes to develop improved simplifications for their description in climate models. At present a lack of knowledge in this area is unacceptably large and aerosol-cloud effects dominate uncertainties associated with man’s change to the radiative budget.
The Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at Manchester is at the forefront of aerosol-cloud research, conducting field measurements to examine how the real atmosphere behaves; laboratory experiments, including studies using large chambers, to probe and quantify specific important processes in a well constrained environment; and models that describe these processes to allow process understanding to be tested and parameterisations to be developed. This PhD offers an exciting opportunity to be involved in this development cycle. It is not anticipated that you will necessarily become expert in all areas but the aim is to work on one or more
components that interest you. It is anticipated that the student will be able to develop their own research project in partnership with a team of researchers in this large study. We have conducted studies into aerosol-cloud interactions in field studies on all continents and it is anticipated that you will be involved in one or more field projects during your PhD studies.
Funding Notes
This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the NERC EAO DTP. Studentships will provide a stipend (currently £14,553 pa), training support fee and UK/EU tuition fees for 3.5 years.
All studentships are available to applicants who have been resident in the UK for 3 years or more and are eligible for home fee rates. Some studentships may be available to UK/EU nationals residing in the EU but outside the UK. Applicants with an International fee status are not eligible for funding.
Continue with Facebook
