FP7 ITARS ITN: Early Stage Researcher (ESR7): Observation of crystal habits and sizes in ice / mixed phase clouds
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.
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.
Nr. Job Positions: 1
Research Fields
Atmospheric Physics/Meteorology
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 ; Hosting research group: http://atmos.weblog.tudelft.nl/ ; Atmospheric observatory: www.cesar-observatory.nl
Requirements
| Required Education Level | |
|---|---|
| Degree | Master Degree or equivalent |
| Degree Field | Meteorology, Physics, Mathematics, Geosciences, Engineering |
| 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 the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the last 3 years. Short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.