The Climate Research department of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) in de Bilt offers a 4-year position for a

on the project
Funded by the EU through the FP7-program EMBRACE. Within the EU-funded EMBRACE project large, abrupt, and irreversible climate changes are studied. The aim of the project is to identify processes that give rise to these changes in climate simulations of future climate. It will be studied what key-processes give rise to such changes. Transitions between different states of the ocean circulation are commonly invoked to explain abrupt climate change. These changes may come about by changes in rainfall and ice discharge from ice sheets. The EC-Earth climate model will be used to study the response to the fresh water loss of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. For detection and interpretation, a common methodology for analysis of abrupt changes which arise due to positive feedbacks in the physical climate system will be developed. The topical feedbacks include: THC feedbacks, ice-albedo feedbacks, etc. In addition, the system dynamics under changes of greenhouse gases will be conceptualized by using a non-linear (or linear) system of algebraic (or ordinary differential) equations based on expected relationships between 2 or 3 key dynamic variables. Time series of these key variables will be analyzed for early warning signals and for the possibility of multiple system regimes. KNMI is the national institute for weather and climate change in the Netherlands. The Climate Research department focuses on understanding and predicting climate change. The section global climate in particular addresses the fundamental processes related to climate change and modeling of these processes. Understanding nonlinear climate change and decadal climate variations and developing scenarios for such variations are key issues in this department. We are looking for an enthusiastic, science-driven person with a Masters degree in physics, mathemathics, meteorology or physical oceanography. Experience in fluid dynamics, nonlinear dynamics and numerical modeling is welcome. The candidate should be theoretically strong, but also be able to perform numerical experiments with large computer models. Knowledge of Fortran, Python, R, etc., and experience with Linux-systems is welcome. It is the intention that the work will result in a PhD from Wageningen University. You will get a contract for four years. The current starting salary for a PhD student is about 1934 Euros/month. The salary will incremental raise for each subsequent year. For further information on the project contact Dr. Sybren Drijfhout: telephone number (+31) 30 2206 395 or email: drijfhou@knmi.nl.
To apply, send before December 21 a statement of your interest, together with a curriculum vitae and a list of references , under the vacancy number "KNMI 2011/35" to recruitment@minvenw.nl, with a CC to drijfhou@knmi.nl

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