Postdoctoral Scholar - Synchronous Ice Sheet-Earth System Modeling
Position Description
Professor Henri Drake in the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine is seeking a postdoctoral scholar for an NSF-funded project that aims to use computational models to investigate the role of ice sheets in the global Earth System, with a focus on advancing understanding of two-way feedbacks between the cryosphere (grounded ice sheets, floating ice shelves, ice bergs, and sea ice) and the ocean – and their role in global climate dynamics. The start date is very flexible, anytime from Jan 1, 2027 to Sep 1, 2027.
Research Focus
The selected candidate will conduct cutting-edge research, including:
- Developing, running, and analyzing fully-coupled experiments using novel configurations of the Community Earth System Model (CESM3) with dynamic representations of the Greenlandic and Antarctic ice sheets, utilizing two-way synchronous coupling to the Community Ice Sheet Model (CISM3).
- Evaluating and calibrating newly implemented parameterizations for basal melt and calving.
- Developing and applying new process-based diagnostics to evaluate the fidelity of the simulations, grounded in available remote sensing and in-situ observations.
- Running mechanism denial experiments to isolate the role of coupled feedbacks.
Career Development
The selected candidate will contribute to our research program and advance their own careers by:
- Contributing to a supportive, collaborative, and vibrant group culture.
- Collaborating closely with CESM3 and CISM3 developers at NSF NCAR.
- Mentoring both graduate students and undergraduate students on related projects.
- Disseminating their results through conference presentations and journal publications.
Position Details
This is a two-year position that is renewable, pending good progress and available funding. The salary will range from $69,073 to $82,836 USD per year, scaling with experience, and includes generous benefits.
Research Environment
The Ocean and Climate Dynamics group led by Dr. Henri Drake uses theory and numerical simulation to study the multi-scale ocean processes that play an outsized role in global Earth System dynamics, with a recent emphasis on the ocean's overturning circulation, sea ice, and ice sheets. The group benefits from close collaborations with model developers at NSF NCAR (e.g., Bill Lipscomb in this project), DOE's LANL, and NOAA GFDL, and with field-going observationalists such as Eric Rignot right here at UCI and Andy Thompson at nearby Caltech. The Earth System Science Department at UC Irvine is highly interdisciplinary, with 25-30 faculty with broad expertise devoted to the study of the Earth as a coupled system. UC Irvine is located in Orange County, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Basic Qualifications (required at time of application)
- An expected or recent PhD in Physical Oceanography, Glaciology, or related field.
- Experience modifying, running, and analyzing ocean, ice sheet, or Earth System models.
- Expert at programming (Python, Matlab, Julia, Fortran, or C++).
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
- Detail oriented with strong organizational and communication skills.
- Extraordinary curiosity about how the Earth System works.
Application Requirements
Document requirements:
- Curriculum Vitae – An up-to-date curriculum vitae, including a publication list.
- Cover Letter – A cover letter that also describes your immediate and long-term research goals.
Reference requirements: 3 required (contact information only).
Apply link: https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF10422
Contact
If you have any questions please email Professor Henri Drake (hfdrake@uci.edu) with "Postdoc Application Question" in the subject line. You can learn more about our research group from our website.