Stratosphere-Troposphere Coupling and Impacts on Surface Climate and Composition

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

This opportunity is closed to applicants who are Senior Fellows (5-years or more past PhD).

Stratospheric variability impacts surface weather and climate on timescales ranging from days to decades. In addition, the stratosphere affects tropospheric composition not only through the stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of ozone but also indirectly by modulating tropospheric dynamics. This project is broadly oriented towards using the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) ModelE middle atmosphere climate model in concert with both NASA reanalyses and remote sensing (e.g., Aura, UARS) as well as ground-based observation networks (e.g., SHADOZ) to identify the mechanisms and timescales by which the stratosphere influences surface climate and composition. Sample topics include stratospheric modulation of Arctic sea ice loss and Northern Hemisphere midlatitude circulation extremes, stratospheric sudden warmings and their relationship with the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), interactions between the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and tropical precipitation, etc. Research feeding back on model development (e.g., gravity-wave drag parameterizations) is strongly encouraged.

Location

Goddard Institute for Space Studies
New York City, New York

Field of Science

Earth Science

Advisors

Clara Orbe
clara.orbe@nasa.gov
212-678-5572

Qualifications

• Doctoral Degree

Benefits

• One- to three-year fellowship
• Opportunities to engage in ongoing NASA research projects
• Competitive program designed to advance NASA’s missions

Pay

N/A

Schedule

N/A