Quantifying Arctic Ocean Tipping Points

About the role

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Description

The rapid loss of perennial sea-ice is driving Arctic marine ecosystems past critical thresholds. We hypothesize that the 2016–17 Bering Sea marine heatwave initiated a tipping point cascade that disruptedively altered Pacific Arctic (PA) marine ecosystems, causing new physical and ecological states to emerge. The PA is the most productive Arctic marine ecosystem and one of the most productive in the world, but recent changes threaten this productivity. The ecological consequences of these changes have been immediate and profound, ranging from the borealization of plankton communities to the collapse of critical salmon and snow crab fisheries.

Responsibilities

• Develop a 3-km resolution model for the Bering Sea-Chukchi Sea complex using the data-assimilative ECCO-Darwin ocean biogeochemistry state estimate to fully quantify and attribute abrupt physical-ecological changes occurring in the PA.
• Develop a model of the LIA/Nares Strait/NOW with 500–1000 meter horizontal grid spacing.
• Analyze multi-decadal time series of key PA habitat elements (e.g., Bering Sea cold pool).
• Compare ECCO-Darwin’s simulated Arctic ecosystem to in-situ plankton and fish surveys, oceanic solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (OceanSIF) derived from MODIS and TROPOMI, and new productivity and phytoplankton community composition (PCC) products enabled by PACE hyperspectral imagery.
• Quantify the ecological consequences of tipping point cascades in Arctic marine ecosystems and guide management and mitigation strategies.
• Mature key modeling and analysis tools for the upcoming FORTE and Arctic-COLORS field campaigns as well as the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY5, 2032–2033).

Requirements

• PhD in Earth Science, Arctic Systems, Remote Sensing, Oceanography, Physics, Chemistry, Earth System Modeling or equivalent.
• Experience with ECCO or other data assimilative ocean physical-biogeochemical models preferred.
• Expertise in analyzing Arctic satellite data for sea-ice, chlorophyll, and other relevant parameters strongly desired.
• Understanding of critical threshold/tipping point behavior in Earth System elements strongly desired.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status;
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I-485 or I-589 forms in pending status.

Skills

• Strong analytical skills.
• Experience with data assimilation and modeling.
• Expertise in Arctic remote sensing and sea-ice monitoring.
• Knowledge of critical threshold behavior in Earth System elements.

Benefits

• Unique research opportunities at NASA Centers and Headquarters.
• Competitive one- to three-year fellowships.
• Access to advanced scientific equipment and facilities.
• Opportunities for professional development and networking.

Pay

• Salary range: $65,000 - $90,000 per year.

Schedule

• Full-time position.

Contact Information

For more information about the NASA Postdoctoral Program, please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website: NASA Postdoctoral Program.

To apply, please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements: How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org).

Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control.