2 Year Postdoctoral Researcher Position: Deepening our Understanding of Ocean Circulation at the Antarctic Margin
The Ocean Climate Connections (OCC) lab led by Dr. Becki Beadling in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department at Temple University is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher (PDR) to start in in June 2025 (earlier start dates are possible).The PDR will lead research for a NSF-funded project seeking to improve our understanding of the dynamics of the Antarctic Slope Current (ASC) and the role it plays in the climate system. The PDR will collaborate with Co-Investigator Matthew Mazloff at UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography and collaborators at NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (NOAA-GFDL) throughout their work.
The proposed research will utilize a hierarchy of state-of-the-science observationally constrained and validated physical and biogeochemical SO state estimates and fully coupled climate model simulations (developed at NOAA-GFDL) to address existing knowledge gaps in our understanding of the ASC and tracer exchange along the Antarctic Margin. A novel fine resolution SO simulation with tidal forcing, ice shelf cavities, and thermodynamically active ice shelves will allow for the investigation of the connection between ASC variability and ice shelf melt events. The results from this work will provide foundational knowledge on the ASC's climatological state and structure, its variability, and its role in the evolving climate system. This research will also provide critical insight on the role that model resolution may play in ASC dynamics, a step which is vital for improving the fidelity of model simulations and future projections.
The OCC lab:
Research in the OCC lab is centered on understanding the role of the ocean in the climate system – its present state, future evolution, and coupled processes between the ocean and other components of the climate system. The OCC lab specializes in evaluating the performance of climate models in representing ocean processes and properties, developing diagnostics to build a process-level understanding of model performance and climate projections, coupled ocean – climate processes, Southern Ocean physical and biogeochemical dynamics, and ice-ocean processes along the Antarctic margin. The OCC lab runs its own high performance analysis and data storage system for analysis of observations and climate model simulations, putting state of the art computing at your fingertips. The PDR will also have direct access to computing resources at Scripps where BSOSE output is stored.
Prospective candidates:
Candidates must have received their Ph.D. in a relevant field (oceanography, physics, applied math, geoscience, computer science, etc.) at the time of hire. Candidates should have strong experience in the Python programming language and Unix. Familiarity with commonly used Python packages to analyze observations and model output. Candidates should have experience working with global climate model output and oceanic observational datasets, particularly with netcdf and Zarr data formats. Candidates should have a strong track record of publishing research in their field.
Postdoctoral appointments are initially for one year with the renewal for subsequent years based on satisfactory performance and continued funding. A competitive salary of $75,000 is offered commensurate with experience and qualifications. Arrangements for remote work (within the US) are possible. The PDR will have the opportunity to travel to and work directly with those at Scripps and GFDL.
Applicants are asked to submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a publication list, a statement of research experience and interests, and names of at least 3 references to rebecca.beadling@temple.edu. Applications will be reviewed on April 1, 2025 and will continue to be considered until the position is filled.
