PhD Fellow in Remote Sensing of Rain-On-Snow Preconditioning Sea Ice Melt Onset

About this job

The position A PhD position is available at the Department of Physics and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology with the Earth Observation Group. The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position. The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer. The project Rain-on-snow (ROS) events on sea ice are becoming increasingly frequent in both polar regions. ROS events modify snow and sea ice geophysical properties, amplifying the thermodynamic coupling at the ocean-sea ice-atmosphere interface. Melt onset timing is an important indicator of the seasonal evolution of the sea ice cover. Moreover, it is not yet clear to what extent ROS events can precondition the snow/sea ice physical system and in turn advance, delay, or alter the timing and progression of seasonal spring melt. The PhD position’s objective is to investigate this link using observations from multi-frequency satellite SAR (TerraSAR-X, Sentinel-1, RCM, NISAR, ALOS-2/-4) and laser and radar altimetry (ICESat-2, CryoSat-2, SWOT and forthcoming CRISTAL) missions, supported by meteorological data, climate reanalysis and in-situ observations. The project will focus on case studies from Arctic landfast sea ice regions in the Atlantic and Canadian Arctic sectors, examining how ROS events modify snow/sea ice physical properties through the freeze-up and winter period and their consequent influence changes in spring melt onset timing. The PhD position will have three interconnected objectives: 1) Detect and characterize ROS events and their impact on snow/sea ice physical system using reanalysis, meteorological, satellite data and in situ observations from past field campaigns; 2) Detect ROS-induced melt from SAR+altimetry observations and investigate and determine whether ROS preconditions and changes the timing of seasonal spring melt onset; and 3) Improve melt onset detection and prediction, using information from previous ROS events, using multi-frequency SAR and altimetry observations. If time allows, the project intends to also examine if the developed methods can be applied to Antarctic sea ice. Qualifications Required qualifications: A Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g. physics, remote sensing, geosciences, geodesy, environmental science, etc.). If you are near completion of your Master’s degree, you may still apply. Documented fluency in English and be able to work in an international environment. Demonstrated practical experience using any of the satellite remote sensing systems listed in the project description above (ideally SAR for cryosphere applications) Strong programming skills (preferably Python or MATLAB) Strong background in statistics Fulfillment of the requirements for admission to the PhD program (next section) Desired qualifications: Experience with cryosphere applications, snow in particular Working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language International experience is an advantage. Emphasis is also given to personal suitability. We are looking for candidates with: High self-motivation and interest in the topic Ability to work independently Great analytical and problem-solving skills Excellent work ethic and commitment to the job As many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position. Admission to the PhD programme For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Science and Technology and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period. Admission normally requires: A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. In order to gain admission to the programme, the candidate must document sufficient potential for research. The applicant must have a grade point average of C (strong 3.0) or better for the master’s degree, which must contain an independent work. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here. If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position. Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending o

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