Scientist – Ocean and Sea Ice Variability and Predictability

at  ECMWF

ABOUT THE EARTH SYSTEM PREDICTABILITY SECTION

The Earth System Predictability Section is part of ECMWF’s Research Department. The Section explores relevant directions to improve the skill of the ECMWF forecasting systems. This involves both exploring the predictability horizon of the earth system, as well as identifying those elements limiting the actual forecast skill. The aim is to guide future development of the ECMWF Seamless Earth-System forecasting system.
Within the Earth System Predictability Section, the extended-range Prediction Team is responsible for the design of the ECMWF extended-range prediction system, which currently covers forecasts up to 46 days ahead. The team conducts predictability research to inform on the representation of sources of sub-seasonal predictability, as well as identifying critical elements to translate predictability into prediction skill.

EDUCATION

• An advanced university degree (EQF level 7 or above) in physical, mathematical or environmental science

EXPERIENCE

• Experience in working with large geophysical datasets on high-performance computing platforms in Unix/Linux-based environments
• Experience in working with numerical general circulation models
• Proficiency in object-oriented coding in Python and experience of shell scripting in Unix or Linux environments is required

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The following skills and experience would be an advantage.

• Knowledge of weather and climate variability and predictability
• Knowledge of probabilistic forecasting systems
• Knowledge of air-sea-ice interaction processes

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPLY EVEN IF YOU FEEL YOU DON’T PRECISELY MEET ALL THESE CRITERIA IN TERMS OF EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS.

Candidates must be able to work effectively in English. A good knowledge of one of the Centre’s other working languages (French or German) is an advantage.

YOUR ROLE

We are searching for a highly motivated Scientist (A2) to conduct scientific research on evaluating (1) the representation of ocean and sea ice model uncertainty and mesoscale features in ECMWF coupled predictions and (2) understanding their local and remote impacts on weather and climate variability. You will perform numerical experimentation with stochastically perturbed parameters (SPP) in the ocean and sea ice model, to assess potential improvements to the ECMWF climate predictions in affordable eddy-permitting configurations. This will involve (1) diagnostic work on ensemble reliability, climate mean and trend and (2) evaluation of air-sea-ice interactions at the ocean mesoscale and impacts on the large-scale atmosphere circulation. The impact of stochastic parameterisations on air-sea-ice interactions and the associated atmospheric response, will be evaluated and compared with results from benchmark eddy-rich ocean-atmosphere simulations (including IFS-FESOM and IFS-NEMO) and idealised IFS sensitivity experiments .
The research and development will take place in close collaboration with colleagues in the Earth System Predictability Section and with external partners in the ACCIBERG and EERIE projects.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and apply diagnostics to understand the atmospheric response to air-sea-ice interactions in (1) eddy-permitting configurations with and without ocean/ice SPP, (2) benchmark eddy-rich simulations, and (3) idealised IFS sensitivity experiments
• Perform numerical experimentation to study the potential benefits of implementing stochastic physics in the ocean and sea ice on ECMWF’s subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasts
• Contribute to timely delivery and high quality of relevant ACCIBERG and EERIE results, as well as their contribution to ECMWF’s goals
• Communicate and document scientific results and software developments in technical reports, journal publications, conferences and meetings as appropriate