Atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) are small-scale waves with big climate-system impacts. Generated by wind flowing over mountains, storms and tropical convection, and internal atmospheric processes such as the jet streams, these waves travel upwards through the atmosphere and are one of the few dynamical processes capable of directly travelling through the full depth of the atmosphere. They are a key cause of aircraft turbulence at flight altitudes, act as a major control on the dynamical structure of the middle and upper atmosphere, and can disrupt and redirect GPS and radio signals in the upper atmosphere.

Our team at Bath has spent the last several years developing novel observational tools to measure and characterise GWs in satellite observations. For this role, we are looking for someone to take these advanced measurements and work with us using statistical techniques to understand the sources and propagation pathways in the troposphere and stratosphere of the GWs we have measured. Specifically, you will exploit a novel multi-decadal climatology of GWs (Hindley et al 2020, Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2020GL089557) to identify and statistically characterise large-scale climate-system drivers of GWs, including but not limited to the solar cycle, El Nino, the quasi-biennial oscillation and climate change.

Note that, due to constraints of external funding, this post is expected to end on the 30th of September 2021 and thus we are ideally looking for someone who can start as soon as possible. It may be possible to extend the end date of the post at a later date depending on the success of a funding application currently under review, but this cannot be guaranteed. 

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Corwin Wright (c.wright@bath.ac.uk); however, all formal applications must be submitted via the University website.

You will join a thriving atmospheric dynamics research group led by Dr Wright, and work with colleagues studying topics as diverse as the triggering of dramatic sudden stratospheric warming events, ways to improve the accuracy of state-of-the-art weather models, and identifying techniques to better predict extreme hurricanes and typhoons. You will have the opportunity to contribute to these projects and others as well as your core work on this project. This will take places within the broader context of the University's Centre for Space, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, the work of which spans the Earth system from the oceans to the edge of space and from theory to application, and within the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, which in addition to strengths across electrical engineering includes specialists in remote sensing and upper-atmospheric science.

What we can offer you:

Our campus is surrounded by beautiful countryside, and the City of Bath with its historic charm and social activity only a short distance away creates an excellent environment in which to work. We are:

• a family friendly workplace 
• 39 days (pro rata) holiday (annual leave, discretionary days and bank holidays)
• open to exploring flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the University. 
• recognising of the talents of our diverse workforce through an excellent reward package
• able to offer you a very generous employer contributory pension
• an employer who wants you to enjoy a work life balance and we offer a generous annual leave allowance to recognise that. 
• encouraging of your personal and professional development

Find out from our staff what makes the University of Bath a great place to work. Follow us @UniofBath and @UniofBathJobs on Twitter for more information.

We aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to a better environment for our employees and students, creating a learning environment and organisational culture that enhances health and wellbeing across our community. We are very proud to have recently received Ambassadors for Autism certification and are an accredited Disability Confident Leader; committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff.

Further details:

• Job Description & Person Specification