PhD Studentship: Dynamical Ocean Processes on the Antarctic Continental Shelf

Primary Supervisor – Prof. Karen Heywood

The West Antarctic ice sheet is losing mass rapidly, and the ocean is implicated in the increase of basal melting of the buttressing ice shelves. However we know little about the processes that bring relatively warm water toward and beneath ice shelves, and that carry the resulting meltwater away. These processes are notoriously difficult to represent in climate models. This PhD project aims to shed light on these processes, using new data sets from tagged seals, ocean gliders and ship-based campaigns in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas.  

The project will address the following questions: 

• What is the spatial and temporal variability of water mass properties on these two continental shelves? 
• How well is the observed seasonal cycle in water mass properties represented in climate models? 
• How is the warm inflow to the continental shelves altered as it crosses the shelf? 
• What determines the pathways that the resulting meltwater takes?  

To do this you will analyse profiles of temperature and salinity on the continental shelves of the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas, and investigate processes involved in any seasonality, for example meteorological forcing and sea ice formation. You will assess the output of high resolution climate models and ocean models against these observations. 

You will gain experience of quality control, processing, analysis and presentation of oceanographic data sets. You will join UEA’s ocean glider science group, acquiring skills in piloting and operating ocean gliders.   

We seek applicants with a strong physical science background, ideally with physical oceanographic knowledge. Experience of a programming language and of undertaking a research project would be beneficial. 

Funding Details

Additional Funding Information

This PhD project is in a competition for a Faculty of Science funded studentship. Funding is available to UK applicants and comprises ‘home’ tuition fees and an annual stipend of £19,237 (for a maximum 3 years)

Closing Date: 27 November 2024 (at 11.59 pm) 

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