Research Fellow in Firn Modelling

Salary: Grade 7 (£37,099 – £44,263 p.a. depending on experience) 

This role will be based on the university campus, with scope for it to be undertaken in a hybrid manner. We are also open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

We are looking to recruit an independent and ambitious Research Fellow on the NERC-funded project, Losing their Cool, which aims to investigate the physical interactions between the atmosphere and the glacier surface at high-elevation (>6,000 m a.s.l.) in the Everest region of Nepal. The project is seeking to understand the processes that determine ice temperatures at the point of formation, with melting and refreezing in the accumulation area being a possible explanation for the surprisingly warm ice temperatures observed previously at lower elevations. To help test this hypothesis, we are seeking a numerical modeller, who can combine field observations of conditions within the firn with physically-based simulations of key subsurface processes to evaluate the role of melting and refreezing in prescribing glacier characteristics.

The project will focus primarily on the accumulation area of the Khumbu Glacier, in the Western Cwm of Mount Everest, building on the team’s previous experience drilling in the lower part of the glacier, below the icefall. This time, the team will drill and instrument shallow boreholes using an ice corer, to measure englacial firn and ice temperatures, and image the interior of the boreholes to characterise firn density and quantify the magnitude and frequency of previous re-freezing events. The Research Fellow will use these empirical data to drive a numerical model that can simulate both the energy fluxes driving warming at the surface, and the consequent subsurface meltwater flow and refreezing processes. These data will enable us to isolate the impact of meltwater re-freezing on ice temperature, and determine the extent to which this changes in a warming climate.

The Research Fellow will be based in the School of Geography at Leeds, but will work closely with a second Research Fellow at Aberystwyth University, and with project partners in Uppsala and Bergen, to ensure the field observations are effectively integrated with the numerical modelling experiments. It is essential that the successful applicant has experience of, and/or enthusiasm for developing skills in numerical modelling of the surface energy balance and processes within the snowpack. The Research Fellow will lead all aspects of the firn modelling, including its calibration for the specific field site, sensitivity testing to robustly quantify uncertainties, and validation of the model outputs against the field observations. Strong analytical skills are essential. The post includes an allocation of funds for conference attendance and we anticipate the Research Fellow will lead several high quality publications.

The post is available from 1 October 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter, for a period of 24 months, and will be based in the River Basins, Processes and Management cluster in the School of Geography at Leeds. 

Visa Information

Please note that this post may be suitable for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route but first-time applicants might need to qualify for salary concessions. For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

For research and academic posts, we will consider eligibility under the Global Talent visa. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent

What we offer in return

• 26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – That’s 42 days a year!
• Generous pension scheme plus life assurance– the University contributes 14.5% of salary
• Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.
• Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.
• Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.
• And much more!  

If you are looking for a role that provides practical as well as theoretical stimulation and contributes to an exciting project that promises to shed light on a rarely explored region of the cryosphere, apply today.

To discuss the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Professor Duncan Quincey

Email: d.j.quincey@leeds.ac.uk 

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