PhD studentship opportunity developing an ionospheric forecast system

An exciting opportunity has now arisen to join the Met Office and the University of Bath for a four-year postgraduate research studentship in the field of improving forecasts of the ionosphere.

About the project

Project title: Development of an improved ionospheric near real time forecast system
Project sponsor: Met Office
Academic contact: Professor Cathryn Mitchell
Start date: Applications accepted all year round
Closing date for applications: Open until filled

Funding

• UK applicants: Stipend and fees award
• EU applicants: Fees only award. 

The researcher will be registered as a full-time postgraduate student at the University of Bath.

She/he  will spend about 75 per cent of his/her time based at the Met Office in Exeter, and the remaining time at the University of Bath and the Bristol Systems Centre on taught courses, covering systems and business-related topics.

Development of an improved ionospheric near real time forecast system

The project focuses on improved forecasts of the ionosphere. Space weather alerts in this region are of especial importance to users of high frequency (HF) radio communications and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) applications.

In collaboration with the University of Bath, the Met Office runs Multi-Instrument Data Analysis Software (MIDAS), which provides near real time analyses (or nowcasts) of Total Electron Content (TEC), which is the integrated vertical column of ionospheric electron density.

The analyses are created using observations available over land regions only, and which give little information about the vertical structure of the ionosphere. Accordingly, the MIDAS analyses currently produced in near real time at the Met Office are only for the European region, and are of TEC rather than 3D electron density.

We wish to extend the ionospheric analysis system to the whole globe, and improve the representation of the vertical structure of the ionosphere (leading to more accurate and reliable alerts for HF and GNSS users), with the overarching aim of improving ionospheric nowcast and forecast quality.

Potential areas of research include:

• Developing global forecasts by combining MIDAS with forecast fields produced by global first principles ionospheric models
• Exploiting new observation types (eg ionosondes and GNSS Radio Occultation) to improve the representation of the vertical structure of ionospheric electron density
• Improving ionospheric forecasts. The ionospheric state is largely determined by solar forcing. Coupling available outputs from solar or magnetospheric models to ionospheric models can improve forecast skill, as can a better representation of other fields (e.g. neutral winds, electric fields) within ionospheric models.

It is also very important that the information provided by any improved ionospheric forecast system is presented in an accessible form. Therefore an additional aspect of this project will involve interaction with both our space weather forecasters and our customers.

The aim is to go beyond just producing forecasts (which other people then have to interpret), and to work out better ways for the forecast information to be supplied to users (e.g. better visualisation, decision-making tools for non-scientists).

The Met Office

The Met Office is the national meteorological service for the United Kingdom. Central to its weather forecasting is a state-of-the-art Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) system, in which meteorological observations are assimilated, and forecasts produced and disseminated, in near-real-time around the clock.

In addition to terrestrial weather forecasts, the Met Office is developing an operational space weather forecasting system in collaboration with both UK and international colleagues.

Space weather is defined as the conditions on the sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems and endanger human life or health.

Requirements

Essential:

• A minimum of an upper second (2:1) class honours degree (or equivalent) in physical sciences, mathematics, computer science or engineering
• An interest in atmospheric science, IT coding and design, and system modelling
• Experience of working both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment
• An ability to communicate confidently to both scientific and industrial colleagues.

Desirable:

• A background in, or demonstrated interest in, space weather.

How to apply

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Cathryn Mitchell.

Apply online selecting EngD Research in Systems (full-time). When asked for finance information, enter: 'Project ionospheric forecast system (Professor Cathryn Mitchell)' .