Opportunity for Postdoctoral Candidates or Visiting Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is recruiting postdoctoral scientists and short-term scientific visitors to work at the ESSL/Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division as part of the Prediction Across Scales Initiative.
Since 2003, NCAR has invested in the development and application of a Nested Regional Climate Model (NRCM) based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the Community Climate System Model (CCSM), as a key component of the Prediction Across Scales Initiative. An NRCM team, which is composed of NCAR staff and external scientists, have been working in close collaboration to develop a tropical prototype version of the NRCM. Using a large amount of available computing resources on a supercomputer (Blue Vista) during its bedding in period, simulations have been completed with the WRF-based NRCM configured as a tropical channel (from 30oS to 45oN) at 36 km spatial resolution with multiple nesting (at 12 km and 4 km spatial resolution) over the western Pacific warm pool. Initial analyses suggest that the simulations captured some realistic features of tropical variability.
To advance the NRCM effort, applications are solicited from qualified postdoctoral candidates and senior visitors interested in analysis of the tropical channel simulations. The selected candidate is expected to work closely with the NRCM team to advance the broader NRCM objectives. Specific research foci may include, but are not limited to the following:
• Diagnosis of model errors through detailed analysis and evaluation of the tropical channel simulations using in-situ and remote sensing data.
• Analysis of the tropical channel simulations to advance the understanding of the role of convection and its mesoscale organization on tropical variability.
• Investigation of the impacts of scale interactions and their implications to addressing biases in regional and global climate models.
• Analysis of distinct climate features in the tropical channel simulations. Examples include seasonal and diurnal cycle, monsoon circulation and hydroclimate, tropical modes, and hurricanes.
• Comparison of the tropical channel simulations and global climate simulations to examine issues such as the impacts of spatial resolution and physics parameterizations, and implications to model coupling (e.g., coupling of atmosphere and ocean models, and coupling of regional and global atmospheric models).
Interested candidates should send the following materials to Bill Kuo (kuo@ucar.edu):
• Cover letter describing the applicant’s research experience
and interests.
• Curriculum vitae with a list of publications in refereed journals.
• Names and addresses of three references.
• PhD thesis abstract for recent PhDs.
Please note that the recruitment will begin immediately, and will end by
15 November 2006.