FP7 ITARS ITN: Early Stage Researcher (ESR10): Investigating cloud sub-grid variability from scanning micro-wave radiometer and cloud radar
Applications are invited for a PhD position to work in the ITARS project, a Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) within the FP7 programme. ITARS (Initial Training for Atmospheric Remote Sensing) focuses on the synergistic application of high-end ground-based remote-sensing instrumentation that has the potential to substantially contribute to an improved understanding of aerosols, clouds, and aerosol-cloud interaction processes and their role for both climate and weather. ITARS science objectives are
- to bring together experts from the aerosol and cloud community to efficiently tackle the problems of aerosol-cloud interaction as well as their relevance for climate and weather,
- to build close ties between industry and research to optimize instrumentation for future networks, and
- to assess the potential of advanced remote-sensing instrumentation and capabilities as an ingredient in a future observation system based on both ground-based networks and space-borne observations.
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.
Nr. Job Positions: 1
Research Fields
Environmental - Other
Career Stage
Early stage researcher or 0-4 yrs (Post graduate)
Research Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)
Comment/web site for additional job details
For more information on ITARS and on the applications process see www.itars.net ; see http://www.geomet.uni-koeln.de/en/general/research/joyce/ for the instrumentation.
Requirements
| Required Education Level | |
|---|---|
| Degree | Master Degree or equivalent |
| Degree Field | Meteorology, Physics, Mathematics, Geosciences |
| Required Languages | |
| Language | ENGLISH |
| Language Level | Good |
Additional Requirements
Good computer programming skills.
Applicants must be researchers who have not yet been awarded the doctorate degree and are in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of their research careers. This includes the period of research training, starting at the date of obtaining the degree which would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate either in the country in which the degree was obtained, irrespective whether or not a doctorate is envisaged.
Applicants may not have resided or carried out their main activity in Germany for more than 12 months in the last 3 years. Short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.