Post Doctoral Research Associate - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Overview

Post Doctoral Research Associate – Specializing in Coastal Ocean Modeling for Climate Change, Sea level Rise, and Ocean Acidification at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

PNNL invites applications from recent graduates in coastal, environmental, civil, oceanography, and engineering fields with a focus on coastal hydrodynamic and biogeochemical modeling and analysis. The selected candidate will participate in coastal ocean modeling activities at the Marine Sciences Laboratory, including modeling the physical, chemical, and biological behavior of fresh- and salt-water systems coupled to landscapes, atmospheric processes, and human systems. Ongoing multi-disciplinary model development activities address climate change impacts and adaptation, sustainable environments, sea level rise impacts to water quality, storm surge and flooding vulnerability, and renewable energy extraction from the oceans.

The selected candidate will join a well-established group of coastal ocean modelers in our Seattle office. In collaboration with the Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. EPA, PNNL has developed a 3-D finite volume hydrodynamic and transport model for the Salish Sea using FVCOM. The Salish Sea Model is currently used by agencies for nutrient pollution management and assessment of future impacts related to sea level rise, climate change, and ocean acidification. Position responsibilities include improving and extending the Salish Sea Model and setting up, testing, and incorporating new modules related to carbon chemistry, particulate transport, and biogeochemical processes into the model code. Primary modeling platforms are FVCOM, ROMS, and CE-QUAL-ICM, with additional projects using DELFT-3D, EFDC and CE-QUAL-W2. Successful candidates must have prior experience in conducting oceanographic modeling-based research using one or more leading 3-D ocean modeling codes and an interest in carbon cycle and future climate simulations.

Responsibilities

• Improve and extend the Salish Sea Model; set up, test, and incorporate new modules related to carbon chemistry, particulate transport, and biogeochemical processes.
• Work with FVCOM, ROMS, CE-QUAL-ICM and other codes (e.g., DELFT-3D, EFDC, CE-QUAL-W2) to simulate coastal hydrodynamics and biogeochemical processes.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary team in a Seattle-based office to address climate change impacts, sea level rise, and ocean acidification.

Qualifications

• Recent graduates in coastal, environmental, civil, oceanography or engineering fields with demonstrated experience in coastal hydrodynamic and/or biogeochemical modeling.
• Experience with 3-D ocean modeling codes (e.g., FVCOM, ROMS, CE-QUAL-ICM) and an interest in carbon cycle and future climate scenarios.

Opportunities and Notes

• Current opportunities: MPOWIR-related sessions and webinars; opportunities open to all genders and career stages.
• The Salish Sea Model is used for nutrient pollution management and projections related to sea level rise, climate change, and ocean acidification.
• LinkedIn group and resources for MPOWIR and career profiles are available for networking and information.

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