Professor

PhD Graduate Research Opportunity at the University of Alabama in

Huntsville Atmospheric and Earth Science Department Research Topics:

Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer Cloud Characterization; Cold Pool Analysis;

Oceanic Aerosol Distributions Availability:

Spring 2027 The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Atmospheric and Earth Science Department, is seeking a PhD level graduate student to conduct research using cloud, aerosol and meteorological observations collected as part of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Moisture and Aerosol Gradients/Physics of Inversion Evolution (MAGPIE) program and associated field campaign in July-August 2023 and into 2025. Qualified students must first apply to and be admitted into the PhD in Atmospheric Science (ATS) degree program at UAH. The successful applicant for this research opportunity will be provided a graduate research assistantship (GRA) in the Atmospheric and Earth Science (AES) Department, including a competitive stipend, tuition, fees and health benefits. The main research focus will be to correlate short-term [O(0-6 hours)] trends and patterns in observed aerosols to cloud patterns, boundary layer inversion characteristics, and mesoscale weather features [O(2.5-250 km)] in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL).

Emphasis will be placed on:

(1) deciphering observed variations, gradients, fluctuations and oscillations in sea salt, dust, and other aerosol types observed at Ragged Point, Barbados relative to MABL inversion characteristics; and (2) simultaneously correlate the identified aerosol MABL signatures to satellite-observed cloud types and coherent MABL structures and circulations. The project will also use high-resolution (1 km-250 m) numerical weather prediction (NWP) model simulations to help bridge the scale gap between the observed MABL clouds and circulations, and the MAGPIE aerosol time series observations. In this way, this project will directly address a key objective of the MAGPIE program: How do the MABL clouds self-organize (e.g., cloud streets, convective lines/ filaments, decoupled layers & altocumulus) and modulate inversions and gradients? How are clouds physically linked to the top of the MABL and air/sea interaction at the ocean's surface layer? How do clouds link the boundaries of the boundary layer? A PhD ATS degree seeking graduate student will be required to complete a robust research agenda, which should last ~4 years. The following general skills are required; however it is expected that the student's research abilities will mature to meet the project needs. (1) Strong programming skills in a preferred language (e.g., Python, Matlab, etc.) (2) Good oral and written communication skills (3) A strong familiarity with conducting research, processing multiple common data types, and integrating results from prior research studies to gain new understanding Interested applicants can request more information about UAH or this research opportunity by contacting Professor John Mecikalski at mecikaj@uah.edu . In order to be considered for GRA support, application and admission into the PhD ATS degree program at UAH is required. Please contact the AES Department Chair at aes-chair@uah.edu for more information on PhD ATS graduate admission requirements and application procedures.