[Met-jobs] Postdoctoral position in Bordeaux, France

[Roger Brugge <r.brugge@reading.ac.uk>]

24-month postdoctoral position on decadal prediction in the North Atlantic and 
the Arctic basin within the Blue-Action project 

A Postdoctoral fellowship is available at EPOC laboratory (University of 
Bordeaux) to work within the H2020 Blue-Action European project.

This fellowship aims at understanding the physical mechanisms causing 
variability and predictability in the climate system, using the IPSL-EPOC 
decadal climate predictability system.

Decadal prediction is a recent challenge in the climate community, especially 
with development of climate services. It consists in using observations to 
drive the initial conditions of the climate projections, in order to initialise 
the phase from the natural modes of climate variability and thereby provide a 
forecast at the decadal timescale. At IPSL-EPOC, the approach is generally to 
use a very simple assimilation method, namely surface nudging, in order to 
maintain as much as possible physical consistency of the climate system

The successful candidate will perform some hindcast and forecast simulations 
using the IPSL-CM6 model, starting from an updated initialised simulation 
designed to reconstruct the recent oceanic variations. He will then evaluate 
the performance of the prediction system and the associated sources of skills, 
with a special emphasis on oceanic variability and predictability in the North 
Atlantic and Arctic basin.

>From this first step, the idea will be to test a few improvements to the 
>initialisation and hindcast/forecast procedure. In particular, it is proposed 
>to include the freshwater input induced by the melting from Greenland ice 
>sheet, which is not considered in classical projections and decadal prediction 
>system. Indeed, there is now growing evidences showing that such a melting 
>could play a role in the near future ocean circulation changes, and may have 
>played a substantial role over the 20th century. We will evaluate the effect 
>of this additional input on the reconstruction of the climate variations over 
>the 20th century, and the potential gain in climate predictability, in 
>particular through changes in salinity in the North Atlantic and their 
>pathway. The Greenland ice sheet melting scenarios will be based on 
>atmospheric regional simulations over Greenland that have estimated the 
>surface mass balance from the ice sheet over the last century and in 
>projections for the coming one.

The postdoctoral fellowship will be located at EPOC laboratory within 
University of Bordeaux in Pessac, with strong collaboration with LOCEAN 
laboratory located in the heart of Paris, at only 2-hour train from Bordeaux. 
Spending part of the postdoctoral fellowship as a visitor within the LOCEAN 
laboratory could be possible. The IPSL-EPOC decadal prediction team is very 
dynamical as shown by the publication list of the last few years. It is 
composed of four permanent researchers. Two other postdoctoral fellows will 
join the team at the same time as the present proposal, one involved in the 
same EU-H2020 project and the other one in the national LABEX L-IPSL project. 
This will ensure stimulating interactions within and outside the research 
group. The IPSL-EPOC decadal prediction team also benefits from the 
enthusiastic scientific environment both in Bordeaux and Paris, notably both 
the NEMO and the IPSL coupled model developing teams, both of which will be key 
within the fellowship. 

We expect a PhD in oceanography, meteorology, environmental sciences or similar 
research experience. The position is offered for 12 months, renewable at least 
once. Payment will be in accordance with French public service salaries 
(between 2500 and 3000 Euros before taxes, depending on experience). The ideal 
starting date is for coming Autumn.

The postdoctoral fellowship will be primarily supervised by Didier Swingedouw 
and Juliette Mignot, with strong involvement of Eric Guilyardi and Guillaume 
Gastineau. 

Applications will be accepted by e-mail only, until 30 June 2017. They should 
comprise: a CV with scientific experience, a letter of motivation with 
availability date, and some referee name(s). Applications and queries should be 
sent to the following e-mail addresses:
•       Didier Swingedouw (didier.swingedouw@u-bordeaux.fr) 
•       Juliette Mignot (juliette.mignot@locean-ipsl.upmc.fr)


--
Didier Swingedouw
UMR CNRS 5805 EPOC - OASU - Universite de Bordeaux
Allee Geoffroy St Hilaire
33615 Pessac, France
Web: http://www.epoc.u-bordeaux.fr/indiv/Didier/public_html/index.html