Context And Mission
The Earth Sciences Department of the BSC (BSC-ES) aims to carry out research into modelling and understanding the behavior of the Earth’s system. BSC-ES focuses on atmospheric emissions, air quality, mineral dust, climate modelling and prediction, global health resilience, and Earth system services for end users.
Within the BSC-ES, the Atmospheric Composition Group develops a modelling capability to combine atmospheric dynamical and chemical processes relevant at a wide range of spatial scales, and investigates their impacts on weather, air quality, climate, health and ecosystems. A core activity of the group is dust modelling and forecasting, and as a result of its excellence, the BSC-ES hosts the WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System for North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and an AXA Chair on Sand and Dust Storms. The group is also extremely active in the EC Framework Programs and has collaborated with the administrations on competitive projects and contracts.
Atmospheric deposition of soluble iron associated with dust and combustion aerosols influences primary productivity and carbon uptake in vast regions of the open ocean. The amount and solubility of the deposited iron depend upon its origin and chemical processing during transport. Large uncertainties remain on the absolute and relative contributions of anthropogenic and natural sources as well as the atmospheric iron dissolution mechanisms that determine the bioavailable iron supply from the atmosphere to the ocean.
The Atmospheric Composition group from the ES-BSC is looking for a postdoctoral fellow to work on improving our understanding of the natural and anthropogenic contributions to the soluble iron deposition in the ocean. Part of the research will consist of further developing and constraining the atmospheric iron cycle in the EC-Earth Earth System model. Among other key novelties, the researcher will incorporate observationally constrained information on the mineralogy of dust sources by the NASA-EMIT mission and explore the role of vegetation and land-use changes on dust emission in present and future climates. The analyses and assessments will be complemented with the incorporation of state-of-the-art anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions beyond CMIP6 estimates.
The researcher will have the opportunity to follow multiple training activities, including those aimed at improving coding and data analysis, scientific and project writing abilities, or project management. All this will be implemented via the formal courses organized by the Education and Training team and Human Resources, and the participation in the regular seminars organized by the department. The proposed research will be managed through biweekly meetings with the supervisor to ensure full coherence between the research planned and the general objectives of the department. The researcher will work in a highly collaborative environment, with tight links with other researchers in the Atmospheric Composition group but also other members of the department, including ocean biogeochemistry modelers. In this context, the applicant will be encouraged to participate in discussions and meetings involving several funded projects related to the fellow´s work, including the Spanish ministry grant entitled BIOTA (Ocean BIOgeochemistry response To refined Atmospheric iron inputs in present and future climate) led by the supervisor, and other core projects of the group focusing on dust and climate research, e.g., the AXA Chair on Sand and Dust Storms or the ERC Consolidator Grant entitled FRAGMENT (FRontiers in dust minerAloGical coMposition and its Effects upoN climaTe). Female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.
Key Duties
Develop model components related to natural and anthropogenic sources of iron in Earth System models.
Design model experiments and run them in HPC systems.
Gather observations and evaluate model experiments.
Develop original research and analysis strategies.
Participate in collaborative projects with partner institutions.
Present results at international meetings.
Publish results in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.
Contribute ideas for new research projects.
Other duties include contributing to the development of common analysis tools; assisting in grant applications; and other duties as assigned.