The purpose of this project is to acquire insights into how ice is formed in natural clouds. Our current lack of understanding in cloud-radiation feedbacks and forcing, from aerosols modifying clouds, dominates the uncertainty around future global warming according to the IPCC. At the other extreme, on the local-scales, various types of ice precipitation create severe weather. Freezing rain, for instance, has caused 3-billion US dollars of damage per decade over the second half of the 20th century and caused commercial aircraft to crash resulting in loss of life. Equally, hail causes billions of dollars of damage every year, from damage to buildings to destruction of crops.
Despite these impacts the skill of forecasts of ice precipitation during severe weather remains limited. Representations of these phenomena in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are limited by empirical knowledge from scarce laboratory experiments. However, recently, in the Latham Laboratories at the University of Manchester, our research group have identified a new mechanism that occurs within clouds in the atmosphere, which we believe can have a large impact on radiation and precipitation processes. Furthermore, in summer 2022 the group collected a large amount of observational data in convective clouds, where we believe these processes to be of importance.
In this project you will investigate how “secondary ice mechanisms” impact convective clouds, atmospheric radiation, and precipitation. This 18-month position will focus on understanding secondary ice mechanisms in deep convective clouds using existing data and state-of-the-art models. There may also be opportunities to extend the post.
You will be responsible to Prof. Paul Connolly and be required to report on your findings to a wider group including Prof. Martin Gallagher.
The School/Department is strongly committed to promoting equality and diversity, including the Athena SWAN charter for gender equality in higher education. The School/Department holds a Bronze Award for their good practice in relation to gender; including flexible working arrangements, family-friendly policies, and support to allow staff to achieve a god work-life balance. We positively welcome applications from women for this post. All appointments will always be made on merit. For further information, please visit: http://www.seaes.manchester.ac.uk/about-us/athena-swan/
Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here
Blended working arrangements may be considered
Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.
Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:
Name: Prof Paul Connolly
Email: paul.connolly@manchester.ac.uk
General enquiries:
Email: People.recruitment@manchester.ac.uk
Technical support:
https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home
This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.
Please see the link below for the Further Particulars document which contains the person specification criteria.
