There is now broad scientific agreement that, over the coming centuries, ice sheets will accelerate rates of global sea level rise as they respond to a warming atmosphere and ocean. Despite this agreement there remains large uncertainties in the rate at which ice sheets will contribute mass to the world‘s oceans. These uncertainties are in large due to a limited understanding of ice sheet response to changes in ocean condition, leading to a large spread in projected ice sheet response. Improving our understanding of these processes is partially dependent on the creation and interpretation of multi-decadal observational records of glacier change that can help to isolate the physical mechanisms responsible for the observed response. We seek a postdoctoral scholar who will work to develop a long, spatially dense, homogenous record of elevation change from all available satellite and airborne altimetry collected over the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The candidate will also help characterize uncertainties in the conversion of elevation changes to mass changes (firn modeling). The candidate will work closely with the NASA‘s Ice Sheet System Modeling (ISSM) group to improve assimilation of altimetry into numerical models of ice flow.
The candidate should have a strong interest and publication record in both signal processing and glaciology. Candidates should have a recent PhD in processing of radar (ERS, Enviat, CryoSat-2) and laser (ICESat, ATM, LVIS) altimetry over glacier surfaces. Knowledge of glaciological principles is required. All candidates should have a strong background in scientific computing (Matlab, Python or equivalent) and remote sensing principles. The candidate is expected to work synergistically within the existing glacier remote sensing and ice sheet modeling groups at JPL. Postdoctoral Scholar positions are awarded for a minimum of one-year period and may be renewed up to a maximum of three years.
Location:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, California
Field of Science:Earth Science
Advisors:
Alex Gardner
Alex.S.Gardner@jpl.nasa.gov
818-354-3477
Eric Larour
Eric.Larour@jpl.nasa.gov
818-393-2435
Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control.
Eligibility is currently open to:
- U.S. Citizens;
- U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
- Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status; and,
- Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I-485 or I-589 forms in pending status
- Degree: Doctoral Degree.
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