Improved understanding and projections for the Arctic atmosphere-ocean-sea ice system using data and computational sciences

Contact persons: Trude Storelvmo , Kirstin Krüger     
Keywords: Arctic, understanding, projecting, atmosphere-ocean-sea-ice-system    
Research group: Meteorology and Oceanography (MetOs)
Department of Geosciences (GEO)
 

The Arctic, a central component of the global climate system, is experiencing climate change faster than most places on earth. At the same time, the Arctic is a forbidding environment, challenging traditional observations, and as such many key processes are not well represented in current climate/Earth System models. We seek to address these issues using computational methods (i.e., machine learning, emulation, downscaling of NorESM simulations) to leverage emerging new observational data sets, as well as increasingly complex numerical models, to improve understanding of key processes. We also would develop and employ idealized models to capture important dynamics, to improve their representation in Earth system models. The project could focus on present datasets, but also draw on paleo records to study abrupt climatic events in the past (i.e., AMOC, Dansgaard-Oeschger events, ice sheet collapse, volcanic eruptions, etc.). A particularly timely focus could be Arctic sea ice, the vanishing of which will strongly impact both the regional ocean and atmosphere. However, the research topic is also open to Arctic impacts on the whole globe.

Topics from natural sciences or technology:

  • Arctic ocean circulation, and oceanic transport processes, from large-scale to sub-mesoscale
  • Air-sea exchange (physical and or chemical) in a future summer sea-ice free Arctic
  • Turbulent processes in the ocean and atmospheric boundary layers
  • Impacts of clouds and aerosol particles on Arctic amplification of warming 
  • Studies of climate feedbacks and climate sensitivity, with a particular emphasis on high latitudes

Projects will be defined in consultation with the successful candidates, but the focus on Arctic processes and impacts using data and computational sciences will be overarching. The use of NorESM or MET Norway’s weather/ocean prediction model combined with observational data will be seen as an advantage.

Research team:

External partners:

  • Norwegian Meteorological Institute (met.no)