[ES_JOBS_NET] Research Associate position in Carbon Cycle Science - Dept of Meteorology - PennState University

[THOMAS LAUVAUX]

Research Associate position in Carbon Cycle Science - Dept of Meteorology - PennState University


Description

One or more research associate positions are available in the study of the fluxes and transport of greenhouse gases. The positions will focus on analyses of airborne measurements intended to quantify and reduce uncertainty in atmospheric inversions caused by atmospheric transport, and improve quantification of regional-scale CO2 and CH4 emissions. The successful candidates will analyze aircraft data with an ensemble numerical modeling system incorporating uncertainties in both atmospheric transport and greenhouse gas fluxes and boundary conditions. The work will contribute to the Atmospheric Carbon and Transport – America (ACT-America) study, a 5-year, NASA-funded Earth Venture Suborbital mission led by Profs. Kenneth Davis and Thomas Lauvaux. Research flights are scheduled to begin in the Winter of 2016. The successful candidates should have a strong background in one or more of the following areas: numerical weather modeling and data assimilation, statistics, inverse methods, carbon cycle science, boundary layer meteorology and aircraft data analyses. Strong communications skills, a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences or a related field, and at least 2 years of postdoctoral research experience are required. The ability to contribute to research and data management, and to assist project graduate students and postdoctoral fellows is beneficial. This is a fixed-term appointment for one year from date of hire with strong potential for continued support. The positions are available beginning July 2015, and will remain open until filled. The salaries will be commensurate with experience, and will comply with The Pennsylvania State University guidelines.

To apply, please upload a current CV, a cover letter, the names and addresses of three references, and a brief statement of research interests and long-term goals at: https://psu.jobs/job/56743

Applications received by April 27, 2015 will receive full consideration.



The Atmospheric Carbon and Transport – America project

The ACT-America project focuses on 1) improving the atmospheric transport of greenhouse gases over North America; 2) improving regional-scale estimates of CO2 and CH4 fluxes using atmospheric inversion techniques; and 3) evaluating the sensitivity of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2) column CO2 measurements to regional variability in tropospheric CO2. These goals define the baseline mission and address the three primary sources of uncertainty in atmospheric inversions: atmospheric transport, prior flux estimates, and sparse atmospheric CO2 and CH4 (hereafter C) data. ACT-America will achieve these goals by deploying airborne and ground-based platforms to obtain data that will be combined with data from existing measurement networks and integrated with an ensemble of atmospheric inversion systems. Aircraft instrumented with remote and in situ sensors will observe how midlatitude weather systems interact with C sources and sinks to create atmospheric C distributions. It will be the first mission ever to focus on improving atmospheric inversions via studying synoptic scale atmospheric transport, and will provide unique and direct evaluation of the high-resolution performance of OCO-2 observations. The ACT-America schedule includes a 1-year preparation and integration phase, five 6-week campaigns across four different seasons and 3 years, and one year dedicated to analyses. Each campaign will yield progress towards the three mission goals, and these results will be integrated to achieve the overall goal in the final year of the project.


Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, disabled individuals, and other protected groups.


Campus/Location:   University Park Campus
Date Announced:    04/03/2015
Job Number:    56743
Work Unit:    College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
Department:    Meteorology