PhD Position on Modelling the Evolution of the Larsen C Ice Shelf

Many Antarctic ice shelves have recently thinned, retreated, or disintegrated. As a result, buttressing of the grounded ice has reduced, increasing the loss of grounded ice and affecting sea level. Thus, understanding the future viability of ice shelves in a warming climate is paramount to better predict the future sea level rise. The state and evolution of the firn layer, expressed in the available pore space, and determined by changes in melt water production, percolation and refreezing, is one of the key indicators of ice shelf health and the topic of this NWO-funded project.

Your job
As a fully-funded four-year PhD candidate, you will study the evolution of the firn layer of the Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica, using a combination of observations and models. You will use the IMAU firn densification model forced by high resolution output from the regional climate model RACMO to simulate the evolution of the Larsen C firn layer in the recent past (1950 to present) and into the future (up to 2100) based on different climate scenarios. You will perform the model runs, analyse the results, and compare them to firn properties estimated from (airborne) radar observations and weather station observations. Your major challenge is in model development, and there is room for you to develop machine learning applications in the field of firn modelling. If successful, your work will lay the foundation for several peer-reviewed scientific publications.

This position is part of the NWO-BAS project Evolution of the Larsen C firn layer: a multi-decadal record of ice shelf vulnerability to atmospheric warming (ELF). You will therefore collaborate intensively with international partners for support, and measurement analysis will be an integral part of your job.

You are an enthusiastic and collaborative colleague and meet several or all of the following criteria:

• an interest in studying ice sheet-climate interactions;
• a Master's degree in (climate) physics, geosciences or a similar field;
• strong programming skills (Fortran, Python or similar);
• affinity with spatiotemporal data analyses and numerical modelling;
• strong reporting and presentation skills;
• a good level of written and spoken English.

• A position for 18 months, with an extension to a total of four years upon successful assessment in the first 18 months;
• a fulltime working week and a gross monthly salary between €2,901 and €3,707 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

This position is fully funded, and we encourage and provide financial support for visits to conferences, workshops and summer schools, and we promote national and international exchange visits. In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University has a number of schemes and facilities of its own for employees. This includes schemes facilitating professional development, leave schemes and schemes for sports and cultural activities, as well as discounts on software and other IT products. We also offer access to additional employee benefits through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage our employees to continue to invest in their growth. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Working at the Faculty of Science means bringing together inspiring people across disciplines and with a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. The Faculty has six departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information & Computing Sciences, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Together, we work on excellent research and inspiring education. We do so, driven by curiosity and supported by outstanding infrastructure. Visit us on LinkedIn and discover how you can become part of our community.

The Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), which is part of the department of Physics, offers a unique research and teaching environment, in which the fundamentals of the climate system are studied. Research is organised in five themes: Ice and Climate, Oceans and Climate, Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry, Coastal and Shelf Sea Dynamics and Earth System modelling. In 2022, IMAU research quality and impact were qualified as 'excellent' by an international visitation committee. Currently, IMAU employs 17 faculty members and 10 support staff and about 20 Postdocs and 30 PhD candidates.

The Ice and Climate group at IMAU is an inspiring, high-quality and versatile research group focusing on ice sheets, sea level, and climate. The group is world-leading in modelling of the ice sheet surface including firn, and maintains a dedicated network of automatic weather stations. Currently, our research group has 6 staff members, 8 Postdocs and 5 PhD candidates.