Table of Contents
ESR Project Descriptions
ESR1: Modification of aerosol optical properties due to humidity from lidar and microwave radiometer
The focus of this project is on aerosols direct effect and its dependence on relative humidity due to hygroscopic growth. The ESR will combine multi-wavelength and depolarization lidar to assess the correlation between aerosol optical parameters and relative humidity for various types of local and long-range transported aerosols from long-term measurements. For humidity measurements, microwave radiometer observations will be used and compared with the lidar water vapor, within the collaboration with the University of Cologne. The work includes technical improvement (in collaboration with Raymetrics S.A., Greece) of the multiwavelength Raman lidar depolarization and water vapor channels for quantitative retrievals, as well as data analysis using HYSPLIT backtrajectory analysis. Measurements will be taken at the Romanian Atmospheric 3D research Observatory (RADO), GAW regional station.
The post is available for 3 years at the National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics, Romania, and the salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Physics, Engineering, Environmental science
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements: Good computer programming skills
Links
ESR2: Signal processing and data fusion between multi-spectral lidar and radiometer sensors: Algorithms and error estimation
The candidate will develop software to retrieve the atmotheric boundary layer height from synergetic observations by lidar and microwave radiometer. The work will include an end-to-end simulation from measured signals to atmospheric quantities and their uncertainties. The applicant will be supervised by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, (UPC, Remote Sensing Lab., Dep. of Signal Theory and Communications) and the University of Cologne (UCOL, Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology), UCOL providing a more physical/radiometer orientation and UPC the signal processing/lidar one.
The post is available for 3 years at UPC, Barcelona, Spain, and the salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Engineering, Physics, Mathermatics, Environmental science
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good.
Additional Requirements: Very good computer programming skills, specifically, Matlab. Very good command of written English. Valid Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE Cambridge or equivalent).
Links
- http://www.tsc.upc.edu/ors for the activities of the Optical Remote Sensing group at the Remote Sensing Lab (RSLAB) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
- UPC (BarcelonaTech), Barcelona, Spain
ESR3: Synergy between Doppler radar and Raman lidar for aerosol investigation
The selected candidate will assess and quantify for the first time the potential of the synergic use of lidar and radar techniques for the study of atmospheric aerosol.
Advanced multi-wavelength Raman lidar is the most powerful technique for monitoring the temporal and vertical variability of atmospheric aerosols and is the unique technique able to provide range-resolved aerosol microphysical properties. On the other hand, recent studies show that microwave radars are able to detect ultragiant aerosol particles of volcanic origin.
The combination of lidar and radar observation of atmospheric parameters has already been applied to the retrieval of the effective radius of cloud droplets and ice crystals. The capability of characterizing aerosol layers over a wide size range, exploiting the synergy between lidar and radar observations and the implementation of a methodology to determine aerosol effective radius from submicron to ultragiant dimensional ranges, is the main objective of the PhD project. The performances of lidar and radar in the observation of aerosol particles in dimensional range from submicron to ultragiant will be assessed using both numerical simulations and real measurements. The database of simultaneous observations from the collocated Raman lidar and Doppler polarimetric radar at the atmospheric observatory of the CNR-IMAA, called CIAO (CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory) is the backbone of the research project.
The Early Stage Researcher will be seconded to the Technische Universiteit Delft (The Netherlands) to gain more experience on Doppler radar. Possibly, a further secondment could take place.
The post is available for 3 years at Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di Metodologie per l’Analisi Ambientale (Potenza, Italy), in cooperation with the University of Basilicata (Potenza, Italy), which will award the PhD title. The salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Atmospheric Physics, Meteorology, Remote sensing, Mathematics, Geosciences
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements: Good computer programming skills
Links
ESR4: Microphysical retrieval of aerosol parameters using multi-wavelength lidar and depolarization signals
The selected candidate will study mathematical inverse ill-posed problems and regularization techniques in a first step. In a second step she/he will exploit these mathematical algorithms to infer microphysical and optical properties of non-spherical aerosol particles by combining multi-wavelength backscatter/extinction coefficient and depolarization profiles as well as to develop a quality control procedure of the optical and the subsequent microphysical parameters using elastic/Raman lidar and sun-photometer data. The algorithms obtained will also be used in the evaluation of microphysical particle properties from real-life data of different ITARS network stations. Additionally, the Early Stage Researcher will be seconded to the Optical Remote Sensing Laboratory, run by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain), to work on the error analysis procedure, and to CIMEL Electronique Company (Paris, France) to learn about integrated column sensors and combined lidar and sun-photometer inversion.
The post is available for 3 years at the University of Potsdam, Institute of Mathematics, Germany, and the salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Mathematics, Numerical or Applied Mathematics; Physics
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements: Excellent computer programming skills (MATLAB/Octave, C++, FORTRAN, QT, Origin, TEX). And willingness to work as a mathematician in an application field, i.e., in Atmospheric Physics and in an interdisciplinary team.
Link
- See http://users.math.uni-potsdam.de/~bockmann/ for the mathematical grounding and the algorithm development.
ESR6: Cloud-radiation parameterisations based on 3D radiative transfer and sensor synergy
“Clouds and climate: a problem that refuses to die”, written by Prof. Randall in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Indeed, clouds, a primary determinant of the Earth’s energy budget, have been one of the primary uncertainty source in climate change predictions; the response of our climate system to doubling CO2 could change dramatically depending on the representations of clouds in climate models. However, even though clouds are 3D objects, cloud-radiation interactions have been modelled in a 1D manner due to computational considerations and more importantly, a lack of 3D cloud observations. While the climate community moves fast toward high-resolution modelling, we can no longer ignore the need for improving our understanding of 3D aspects of both radiation and cloud structures.
This project aims to improve cloud-radiation parameterisations in climate models. The selected candidate will put the structures of natural clouds into a detailed 3D radiative transfer model, using scanning cloud radar measurements at the Jülich Observatory for Cloud Evolution (JOYCE) via collaboration with the University of Cologne. Once the 3D cloud effects are understood, the candidate will work on improving radiation calculations in current climate models, building on recent work at Reading to devise a new scheme for incorporating 3D effects into the 1D radiation scheme. Finally, the global effect of 3D radiative transport and its implication on climate change prediction will be investigated.
The post is available for 3 years at the University of Reading, United Kingdom, and the salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Bachelor or Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Physics, Atmospheric Science, Meteorology, Mathematics
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements: Good computer programming skills (Fortran, IDL, Matlab, C/C++)
Links
- See http://www.geomet.uni-koeln.de/en/general/research/joyce/ for the instrumentation
ESR7: Observation of crystal habits and sizes in ice / mixed phase clouds
Radar-centred techniques will be developed to determine crystal properties in ice clouds with greater detail than possible to date. This is important as climate and weather forecast models include assumptions on ice crystal habits that – although crucial in determining precipitation characteristics - cannot be validated yet. The possibilities of a new spectral-polarization radar technique will be further explored in order to classify ice crystal microphysics. In support of this technique lidar will be used to detect super-cooled liquid water clouds that may be present inside ice clouds. The candidate will be based at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. Test campaigns at the CESAR Observatory in The Netherlands will be performed and cross-compared with radiative transfer calculations. Close collaboration is foreseen with research institute IfT in Leipzig on lidar remote sensing and the radar manufacturer Selex Systems to study the potential of the technique for future radar systems.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Meteorology, Physics, Mathematics, Geosciences, Engineering
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements: Good computer programming skills
Links
- Hosting research group: http://atmos.weblog.tudelft.nl/;
- Atmospheric observatory: www.cesar-observatory.nl
ESR8: Combination of Doppler lidar and Doppler radar measurements to study vertical motion in context with ice formation in clouds
The selected candidate will exploit the synergy of Doppler lidar and Doppler radar observations of liquid-water and mixed-phase clouds. He/she shall study dynamical and microphysical processes which are relevant, e.g., for the formation of ice in super-cooled water clouds. Observational strategies and combined retrieval schemes using the Doppler capabilities of lidar and radar shall be developed in cooperation with other young researchers of IfT’s Ground-based Remote Sensing Group. Data will be taken with LACROS (Leipzig Aerosol and Cloud Remote Observations System) instrumentation at the Leipzig site as well as during national and international field experiments. The candidate will cooperate with the University of Delft to work on combined lidar-radar retrieval schemes and with the radar manufacturer METEK to work on Doppler radar control and analysis software.
The position is available for 3 years at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Germany, and the salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Meteorology, Physics, Mathematics, Geosciences
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements: Good computer programming skills (preferably Matlab, IDL, and/or Python). Willingness to work in a team. Willingness to participate in field campaigns.
Links
ESR10: Investigating cloud sub-grid variability from scanning micro-wave radiometer and cloud radar
The selected candidate will exploit the scanning capability of cloud radar and microwave radiometer to derive 3D fields of cloud occurrence with high (ca. 100 m) resolution for domains of about 20 km. He/she will cooperate with the University of Reading on the optimization of scanning patterns and with the instrument manufacturers on their realisation. Data will be taken at the Jülich Observatory for Cloud Evolution (JOYCE) and used to analyse vertical and horizontal cloud variability. This is important for the evaluation of atmospheric models and satellite validation because clouds frequently occur on scales smaller than the grid size. Cloud overlap assumptions, an integral part in NWP and climate models, will be evaluated with the help of long-term observations.
The post is available for 3 years at the University of Cologne, Germany, and the salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Meteorology, Physics, Mathematics, Geosciences
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements: Good computer programming skills
Links
ESR11: Determination of atmospheric water vapor via inverse modelling using lidar and microwave radiometry
The selected candidate will explore the sensor synergy of Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) and microwave radiometry (MWR) to retrieve the atmospheric state and cloud parameters with high-vertical resolution. The Integrated Profiling Technique developed at UCO combines cloud radar and MWR in an optimal estimation framework where lidar information is only used at cloud base. The capabilities of water vapour DIAL able to provide high-vertical resolution information below clouds will be explored. The necessary combination of instrumentations is currently operated for the first time at Barbados in cooperation with MPI Hamburg. The impact on retrieval quality of thermodynamic profiles and cloud parameters will be investigated in cooperation with University of Potsdam.
The post is available for 3 years at the University of Cologne, Germany, and the salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Meteorology, Physics, Mathematics, Geosciences
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements: Good computer programming skills
Links
- see the MPI page for the instrumentation.
ESR12: Study of the planetary boundary layer and its influence on cloud development
The selected candidate will study Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) dynamics and its influence on the development of low clouds over the semi-urban site of Athens, using a combination of multi-wavelength Raman aerosol, depolarization, ozone and water vapour lidar data. The combination of these multi-instrument data will enable the complete characterization of the PBL structure and its diurnal variation with high temporal and spatial (ca. 100-150 m) resolution. These data, in combination with radiosonde data of wind and relative humidity, will enable the study of the PBL dynamics and its influence on the development of low clouds over Athens under various meteorological conditions (high/low solar irradiance, sea/land breeze, etc.). The data obtained will also be used in the evaluation of the Air Quality Model CALIOPE, regarding the distribution of gaseous photochemical pollutants and particulate matter by synergistic observations (lidar and passive sensors).
Additionally, the Early Stage Researcher will be seconded to RADO Observatory, run by the National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics (Magurele, Romania), to work on aerosol properties retrievals, and to Raymetrics S.A. (Paiania, Athens, Greece) to learn about water vapour lidar applications.
The post is available for 3 years at the Laser Remote Sensing Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens (Zografou Campus) and the salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Physics, Engineering, Environmental science
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements:
Very good computer programming skills (Matlab, LabView, IDL, Origin or Fortran/C++).
Willingness to work in team work.
Willingness to work during daytime and nighttime (during specific campaigns).
Link
ESR13: Investigation of the performance of Air Quality Modelling (AQM) in forecasting the distribution of pollutants over Europe
The work of the selected candidate will focus on the evaluation of the Air Quality Forecasting System CALIOPE in the distribution of gaseous photochemical pollutants and particulate matter by synergistic observations (lidar, passive sensors) to perform a quantitative evaluation of CALIOPE-forecasted pollution episodes.
Moreover, the Early Star Researcher will be seconded to National Technical University of Athens (Greece) to familiarize with the use of lidar and passive sensors to measure atmospheric pollutants and to exchange expertise on long-/short-range transport models. A further secondment will take place to one of our industrial partners (Selex Systems Integration GmbH or Raymetrics S.A.) in order to gain specific knowledge of weather radar or lidar systems, respectively.
The post is available for 3 years at the Earth Science Department of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain, and the salary will be commensurate with a Marie-Curie Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position.
Required Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Degree Field: Environmental engineering, Physics, Engineering, Atmospheric sciences
Required Languages: ENGLISH, Language Level: Good
Additional Requirements: Good computer programming skills (FORTRAN 77/90 and C) and experience with UNIX/LINUX environments and scripting languages. Good written and verbal communication skills. Ability to work independently and in a team.