Two postdoc positions in climate science (Toulouse, France)

We are seeking two highly motivated postdoctoral researchers to join us in advancing climate science in the field of Oceanography at the prestigious CNRM Climate Center in Toulouse, France. These positions offer a unique chance to work on pressing global issues with a collaborative and interdisciplinary team.

Position Details:

We are recruiting for the following research areas:

Investigating Ocean-Sea Ice-Atmosphere Feedbacks in Antarctica to Understand Self-Sustained Changes in Sea Ice
The Future Evolution of Global Ocean Overturning Cells at Different Global Warming Levels

For more information, please refer to the detailed project descriptions below.

Position Highlights:

Employer: Sorbonne Université (Paris)
Location: CNRM (Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques), Météo-France, Toulouse, France
Research Environment: CNRM offers outstanding computational resources, an active scientific community, and an environment conducive to groundbreaking climate research. Toulouse offers a dynamic, culturally rich environment with a high quality of life. The successful candidates will work alongside an active, diverse group of experienced scientists and early-career researchers dedicated to climate research. CNRM’s vibrant research community provides ample opportunity for professional development and collaboration across disciplines.

Application Deadline: November 25, 2024

We look forward to receiving your application!

The Future Evolution of Global Ocean Overturning Cells at Different Global Warming Levels

Supervisors: Jean-Baptiste Sallée, Roland Séférian

Project Overview: The project focuses on understanding how global ocean overturning circulation systems, particularly the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and the Bottom Meridional Overturning Circulation (BMOC), will evolve under various levels of global warming. This research is crucial to improving predictions of long-term climate change and informing effective climate policies. While there is substantial understanding of climate change during active warming, climate change after stabilization of global surface air temperatures are not as well understood. This phase—referred to as “committed climate change”—is key to evaluating the long-term impacts of policies that target specific temperature thresholds (such as 1.5°C, 2°C, and beyond).

The project will leverage a unique set of multi-century simulations already performed using the CNRM Earth System Model. These simulations simulate the climate system’s response to a sudden stabilization of external forcing at various levels of global warming ranging from 1.1°C to 5°C above pre-industrial levels. The specific objectives include:

● Analyzing the response of the ocean overturning circulation at multi-centennial timescales following stabilization at each warming level.

● Investigating the processes that drive the stabilization, recovery, or potential collapse of the AMOC and BMOC under different global warming scenarios.

● Examining how the ocean’s role in heat and carbon storage evolves in these scenarios and how it impacts climate stabilization and feedback mechanisms.

The successful candidate will primarily analyze existing model output from simulations already run for the project. These simulations cover several centuries post-stabilization, allowing detailed investigation of the ocean’s long-term behavior. However, the opportunity exists to perform additional sensitivity simulations, depending on the specific scientific questions arising from the analysis.

The tools used will include state-of-the-art climate model diagnostics, with a focus on ocean dynamics, thermohaline processes, and deep-water formation patterns in both the Atlantic and Southern Oceans.

Required/Desired Skills:

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with the following background:

● A PhD in climate science, physical oceanography, atmospheric science, or a related field.

● Strong skills in climate modeling, data analysis, and ocean dynamics.

● Experience with Earth System Models and knowledge of ocean circulation

● Proficiency in scientific programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Fortran) for climate data analysis is essential.

Research Environment:

The postdoc will be recruited by Sorbonne Université (Paris) and be based at CNRM (Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques), part of Météo-France, in Toulouse, France. CNRM is a leading climate and weather research institute with cutting-edge computational resources and a vibrant scientific community, offering an excellent environment for collaboration and interdisciplinary research. The successful applicant will join, and active and dynamic group of scientists, and early career scientist working in related fields.

Application:

To apply, please submit:

● A CV

● A brief cover letter outlining your research experience and interests

● Contact information for two academic references

For inquiries, feel free to contact Jean-Baptiste Sallée at jean-baptiste.sallee@locean.ipsl.fr

Investigating Ocean-Sea Ice-Atmosphere Feedbacks in Antarctica to Understand Self-Sustained Changes in Sea Ice

Supervision: Jean-Baptiste Sallée, Aurore Voldoire

Located: CNRM, Météo-France, Toulouse, France

Since 2016, Antarctic sea ice has experienced an abrupt and unprecedented decline, which has puzzled the scientific community and raised questions about the underlying processes driving such rapid changes. Understanding the complex interactions between the ocean, sea ice, and atmosphere in the Antarctic region is essential to uncovering the mechanisms behind this phenomenon and to predicting future sea ice variability in a warming world. This postdoctoral research project will focus on exploring the feedback processes within the ocean-sea ice-atmosphere system that may contribute to self-sustained changes in Antarctic sea ice. The main tool for this investigation will be the CNRM Climate Model, which will be used to perform dedicated simulations and sensitivity studies.

The main objectives of the project (can be adjusted with the successful candidate):

Evaluate the CNRM Climate Model in modelling pre-industrial and contemporary Antarctic sea ice extent and seasonal cycle. The first objective is to evaluate and tune the CNRM Climate Model to best represent sea ice (in preparation for this project and for CMIP7).
Investigate the probability and drivers of the abrupt decline in antarctic sea ice in Antarctica using preindustrial and historical simulations. Examine the potential role of internal climate variability versus forced change in driving abrupt changes in sea-ice cover, similar as observed in the past decade.
Examine the Role of Oceanic Heat Transport and Sea Ice Feedbacks in sustaining a low or a high sea-ice state once an abrupt change is generated.

Required/Desired Skills:

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with the following background:

● PhD in climate science, physical oceanography, atmospheric science, or a related field.

● Experience in climate modeling and, ideally, in model development

● Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, Fortran, R) for data analysis and simulation handling.

● Knowledge of polar climate systems, oceanography, sea ice dynamics