Are sea ice and surface foam important in determining oceanic uptake of CO2?

(YANG_UPML24ARIES)

Are sea ice and surface foam important in determining oceanic uptake of CO2?

(YANG_UPML24ARIES)

Project Description

Supervisors

Dr Mingxi Yang, Plymouth Marine Laboratory – Contact me

Professor Karen Heywood, University of East Anglia, School of Environmental Sciences

Dr David Moffat, Plymouth Marine Laboratory

Professor Thomas Bell, Plymouth Marine Laboratory

Scientific Background

The global oceans take up about a third of the carbon dioxide (CO2) we emit, and about half of this uptake occurs within the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica. This dampens global heating so understanding air-sea CO2 exchange in the Southern Ocean is essential for predicting future climate.

While air-sea CO2 exchange through an unbroken water surface is reasonably well understood, how sea ice and whitecaps (formed via bubbles from wave breaking) affect CO2 exchange are very poorly known. Because the Southern Ocean is substantially covered by sea ice and/or whitecaps, our poor understanding of these processes limits the accuracy of current and future CO2 flux estimates.

Research Goals

In this project, you will make and bring together shipboard measurements over multiple years and satellite observations to better understand the relationships between gas exchange, sea ice, and whitecaps. From the UK ice breaker RRS Sir David Attenborough primarily in the Southern Ocean, you will 1) directly measure air-sea CO2 exchange using a state-of-the-art flux system, and 2) develop/improve image analysis algorithms to automate the determination of sea ice coverage and whitecaps from shipboard visible/infrared photographs. You will then combine satellite observations with the outcomes of 1) and 2) to determine the importance of sea ice and whitecaps in determining CO2 uptake by the Southern Ocean.

Training

You will gain experience in air-sea exchange measurements and in situ as well as satellite data analysis in PML, and physical oceanography and sea ice in UEA. You will be offered the opportunity to participate, if you wish, in a research cruise. You will gain an understanding of good laboratory practice, image processing, handling of big data/Machine-Learning, presentations and scientific writing, and gain unique field experience (valuable skills in academic, industry and consultancy careers).

Person Specification

You will have a passion for environmental research with an aptitude to operate scientific instrumentation and analyse large volumes of data. You should be degree-level qualified in Environmental, Chemical, Marine or Atmospheric Sciences, but applications from those with other numerate degrees (e.g. Physics, Mathematics, Engineering) are also encouraged.

References

  • 1 Bell, T.G., Landwehr, S., Miller, S.D., De Bruyn, W.J., Callaghan, A.H., Scanlon, B., Ward, B., Yang, M. and Saltzman, E.S., 2017. Estimation of bubble-mediated air–sea gas exchange from concurrent DMS and CO 2 transfer velocities at intermediate–high wind speeds. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 17(14), pp.9019-9033.
  • 2 Yang, M., Bell, T.G., Bidlot, J.R., Blomquist, B.W., Butterworth, B.J.,Dong, Y., Fairall, C.W., Landwehr, S., Marandino, C.A., Miller, S.D. and Saltzman, E.S., 2022. Global synthesis of air-sea CO2 transfer velocity estimates from ship-based eddy covariance measurements. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, p.826421.Yang, M., Bell, T.G., Bidlot, J.R., Blomquist, B.W., Butterworth, B.J.,Dong, Y., Fairall, C.W., Landwehr, S., Marandino, C.A., Miller, S.D. and Saltzman, E.S., 2022. Global synthesis of air-sea CO2 transfer velocity estimates from ship-based eddy covariance measurements. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, p.826421.
  • 3 Watts, J., Bell, T.G., Anderson, K., Butterworth, B.J., Miller, S., Else, B. and Shutler, J., 2022. Impact of sea ice on air-sea CO2 exchange–A critical review of polar eddy covariance studies. Progress in Oceanography, 201, p.102741
  • 4 Callaghan, A.H. and White, M., 2009. Automated processing of sea surface images for the determination of whitecap coverage. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 26(2), pp.383-394.
  • 5 Dumitru, C.O., Andrei, V., Schwarz, G. and Datcu, M., 2019. Machine learning for sea ice monitoring from satellites. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 42, pp.83-89.

Key Information

  • This project has been shortlisted for funding by the ARIES NERC DTP and will start on 1st October 2024. The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 10th January 2024.
  • Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a NERC studentship, which covers fees, stipend (£18,622 p.a. for 2023/24) and research funding. International applicants are eligible for fully-funded ARIES studentships including fees. Please note however that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK. We expect to award between 4 and 6 studentships to international candidates in 2024.
  • ARIES students benefit from bespoke graduate training and ARIES provides £2,500 to every student for access to external training, travel and conferences, on top of all Research Costs associated with the project. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses.
  • ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, and our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience.
  • All ARIES studentships may be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis, visa requirements notwithstanding.
  • For further information, please contact the supervisor. To apply for this Studentship follow the instructions at the bottom of the page or click the 'apply now' link.
  • ARIES is required by our funders to collect Equality and Diversity Information from all of our applicants. The information you provide will be used solely for monitoring and statistical purposes; it will remain confidential, and will be stored on the UEA sharepoint server. Data will not be shared with those involved in making decisions on the award of Studentships, and will have no influence on the success of your application. It will only be shared outside of this group in an anonymised and aggregated form. You will be ask to complete the form by the University to which you apply.
  • ARIES funding is subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Postgraduate Researchers are expected to live within reasonable distance of their host organisation for the duration of their studentship. See https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/ for more information

Applications open

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