About the project
Ocean currents around Greenland regulate Greenland Ice Sheet melting and the consequent injection of meltwater into the North Atlantic. This project will assess what controls these currents and how they mediate interactions between the North Atlantic and the Greenland Ice Sheet, helping predict future sea level rise and ocean circulation.
Ocean currents around Greenland play two interconnected roles. First, they set ocean properties adjacent to the ice sheet, ultimately driving melting of marine-terminating glaciers and playing a key role in their retreat and consequent sea level rise. Second, these currents transport glacial meltwater into the North Atlantic, affecting ocean circulation with consequences for European weather systems and beyond.
This project will use the following publicly available datasets:
- Ocean: in situ (hydrographic and velocity data) and satellite (sea level, currents, surface temperature and salinity) measurements
- Glacier: satellite-derived calving front position and freshwater input
- Sea ice: satellite-derived concentration and motion
- Atmosphere: winds and surface air temperature from reanalysis products
By combining these datasets and using multiple approaches (e.g. Empirical Orthogonal functions and Machine Learning; Dotto et al 2018), the candidate will determine what factors (e.g. the North Atlantic Oscillation) control the spatial and temporal variability of these currents, and how they affect glacial melting glaciers and potential meltwater pathways into the ocean.
The candidate will access unique and multidisciplinary expertise in oceanography at the National Oceanography Centre, in glaciology at the University of Edinburgh and in sea ice/remote sensing at UCL , with the goal of improving our understanding of the key factors controlling ocean forcing of the Greenland Ice Sheet and drivers of North Atlantic circulation. PhD results are expected to inform policy makers who design mitigation and adaptation policies related to sea level rise and extreme weather events.
Supervisory team
The supervisory team includes supervisors from several organisations, including our INSPIRE Partners. Please contact the Lead Supervisor for more information about the team.
Training
The INSPIRE DTP programme provides comprehensive personal and professional development training alongside extensive opportunities for students to expand their multi-disciplinary outlook through interactions with a wide network of academic, research and industrial/policy partners. The student will be registered at the University of Southampton and hosted at the National Oceanography Centre.
Specific training will include:
- Opportunity to present their work at international conferences
- Possibility to participate in fieldwork on a scientific cruise in Greenland/North Atlantic
- Possibility to spend weeks/months with the co-supervisors in the partner institutions
- Attend relevant summer schools
