POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN BIOCHEMICAL OCEAN MODELLING

Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
Unifob AS
The Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (BCCR; http://www.bjerknes.uib.no/) is a joint
climate research venture between the University of Bergen (UoB), the Institute of Marine
Research (IMR) and the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC).
The BCCR integrates observationalists and modellers in a concerted interdisciplinary
research effort. The BCCR comprises the largest climate research group in Norway and has
the status of a national Center of Excellence. The BCCR´s Secretariat is a unit of Unifob AS
(http://www.unifob.uib.no/).
2 Postdoctoral Positions Studying the Atlantic Ocean’s Impact on Northern
Hemisphere Climate Variability
Two 4-year research scholarships are available at the BCCR within the climate project
COMPAS, funded by the Norwegian research Council. The overall objectives of COMPAS
are:
• To fill the gap in the understanding, and improve the quantitative assessment, of the
Atlantic Ocean’s impact on Northern Hemisphere (hereafter NH) climate variability
and climate change.
• To evaluate how Atlantic Ocean / NH climate interactions are represented in the
current generation of coupled climate models, through the analysis of present and past
climate records.
The main task for the successful candidates will be to explore mechanisms through which the
Atlantic Ocean generates Northern Hemisphere (NH) climate fluctuations.
The COMPAS project will focus on the understanding and prediction of NH
decadal/multidecadal scale climate fluctuations. Possible origins for the decadal/multidecadal
climate fluctuations from variations in the strength of the Atlantic Ocean Meridional
Overturning Circulation (AMOC) as well as alternative hypotheses driven by intrinsic
atmospheric processes (climate noise) will be explored.
In COMPAS an effort will be undertaken to assess which of the hypotheses is the most
relevant to observed climate variability. COMPAS proposes that three sets of mechanisms
characterize the oceanic forcing. The first two hypothesize a climate impact of the AMOC
through its control of the Atlantic SST gradient. The third, through the AMOC control on the
distribution of Arctic sea-ice.
The two positions will be organised in two compartments, one position will be devoted to
atmosphere and climate modelling, and the other to analyses of paleoclimate observations
and transient climate model experiments.
Climate modelling (06/3CM):
This position will be devoted to exploring these mechanisms mainly by attempting to isolate
the signatures of the Atlantic Ocean’s impact on NH Climate through a series of idealized

experiments with the atmospheric GCM of the host-institution (part of the Bergen Climate
Model: BCM). This step is needed to decide whether to attribute or not to ocean forcing the
climate fluctuations seen in the observational records. Further in the project it will also be
investigated how the identified mechanisms are represented in ensemble simulations with
fully coupled GCMs
Applicants should hold a recent PhD or finish their PhD in the very near future, in
Meteorology/Atmospheric dynamics or related fields. Strong skills in large-scale atmospheric
dynamics are required. Experience in numerical modelling and data analysis will be an
important advantage.
Paleoclimate analyses/modelling (06/3PA):
This position will be devoted to analysing the behaviour of decadal and multidecadal
variability in the North Atlantic Ocean during the past few millennia, utilising high-resolution
paleoclimate proxy data and transient simulations with GCMs.
Applicants should hold a recent PhD or finish their PhD in the very near future, in climate or
ocean/atmosphere dynamics and have experience in working with analyses of climate model
output. Knowledge about and experience with paleoclimate proxy data will be an advantage.
The salary for a postdoctoral researcher (code 8150) will be NOK 378.400 per annum
(approx. 49.532 Euro). Unifob AS has employee pension and insurance agreement.
Additional information on the positions can be obtained from Associate Professor Nils
Gunnar Kvamstø, tel. +47 55 58 28 98 / e-mail: nils.kvamsto@gfi.uib.no or Professor Eystein
Jansen, tel. +47 55 58 34 91 / e-mail: eystein.jansen@bjerknes.uib.no.
The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any
time.
Written applications should include a cover letter with statement of motivation and a
summary of training and experience (CV), a copy of diploma, publications including a list of
publications and the names and contact details of 3 referees. (All in 3 copies/sorted in 3
identical bundles.) Applications should be forwarded to the Bjerknes Centre for Climate
Research, University of Bergen, Allégt. 55, N-5007 Bergen, Norway, by February 6, 2006.
Do not submit applications by e-mail.
The application must be marked with the correct reference no (06/3CM or 06/3PA).