Is ocean circulation the ultimate driver of marine carbon sequestration by biology?

Description

Project Background:

Marine phytoplankton play a crucial role in the carbon cycle and climate by storing dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) in the deep ocean away from the atmosphere via their sinking remains - a process called the Biological Carbon Pump (BCP). Without this BCP, atmospheric CO2 would be about 50% higher than it currently is. The latest IPCC Report (Ch.5, section 5.4.4.2) concluded there is “high confidence that feedbacks to climate will arise from alterations to the magnitude and efficiency of the BCP”, but the precise drivers are still uncertain.
Whilst the BCP involves a complex mix of ecological and biological processes that are widely expected to change with climate change, a new analysis of IPCC future projections showed that the slowing of ocean circulation in response to warming is the main driver of carbon storage by the BCP in the coming century (Wilson et al., 2022).

Project Aims and Methods:

The PhD aims to quantify the importance of ocean circulation in driving carbon storage by the BCP.  The student will initially adapt an Earth System Model to isolate the impact of circulation on the BCP, run future projections, and identify key processes/quantities that predict the impact of ocean circulation on the BCP. The student can then explore various research directions based on their interests such as: 1) Will ocean circulation continue to be the main driver beyond the 21st century? 2) Are uncertainties in current IPCC projections related to the model representation of circulation? 3) What impact does a changing circulation have on proposed geoengineering techniques?

Training:

The student will receive direct training from the supervisory team in running Earth System Models, including IPCC-class models, as well as processing and analysing their output. This includes training in widely-used programming languages such as Matlab and Python and using high performance computing. The student will be supported to present their research at (inter)national conferences and engage with (inter)national research programmes on the BCP (JETZON). The student will be part of the Ocean Sciences group and will have links to the range of national expertise and opportunities at the National Oceanography Centre.

Start Date: 1st October 2023

Further Details:

This PhD project is funded by The Faculty of Science & Engineering at The University of Liverpool and will start on 1st October 2023.

Successful candidates who meet the University of Liverpool eligibility criteria will be awarded a Faculty of Science & Engineering studentship for 3.5 years, covering UK tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend (e.g. £17,688 p.a. for 2022-23).

Faculty of Science & Engineering students benefit from bespoke graduate training and £5,000 for training, travel and conferences.

The Faculty of Science & Engineering is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience. Our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience. Students must complete a personal statement profoma and ensure this is included in their online application.

How to Apply:

All applicants must complete the personal statement proforma. This is instead of a normal personal/supporting statement/cover letter. The proforma is designed to standardise this part of the application to minimise the difference between those who are given support and those who are not. The proforma can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ym2ycne4. More information on the application process can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/mwn5952t. When applying online, students should ensure they include the department name in the ‘Programme Applied For’ section of the online form, as well as the Faculty of Science & Engineering as the ‘studentship type’ in the finance section.

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/