We are seeking expressions of interest from potential PhD candidates to work on Project CookieMonster. The project will develop ways of measuring turbulence in the strong tidal flows of Cook Strait – and the implications of these data. The project would be based in Wellington New Zealand at the NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) laboratories at Greta Point and enrolment would be through the University of Auckland Physics Department (Joint Graduate School). The project is funded by the Royal Society Te Apārangi Marsden Fund. Project CookieMonster (Cook Strait Internal Energetics Monitoring and Synthesis Research) would look at profile and glider-based approaches to measuring turbulence and mixing. The potential to have a numerical aspect is possible. Most of the project has a shelf seas focus but there is a work package looking at open ocean deployments of turbulence instrumentation. An educational background in geophysics, physic or engineering is required. Aptitude with Matlab/IDL/Python would be mandatory. Prior experience with oceanographic and/or microstructure equipment would be a plus.
Supervisors: Craig Stevens & Joe O’Callaghan
Start date: negotiable but some time in the April-July 2018 window preferred.
Conditions: the project is funded and will match normal Auckland PhD conditions https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-types/postgraduate-scholarships/doctoral-scholarships.html
To submit an expression of interest email Craig (craig.stevens@niwa.co.nz) and Joe (joanne.ocallaghan@niwa.co.nz) a CV and brief letter indicating what you see as your strengths and you’d like to get out of the project by 15 December 2017.
Links:
Preliminary work on the system can be found at: https://www.ocean-sci-discuss.net/os-2017-30/
Popular media at http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018620570/project-cookie-monster
NIWA https://www.niwa.co.nz/
University of Auckland https://www.physics.auckland.ac.nz/en.html
NIWA/UoA Joint Grad School http://www.coastalandmarine.auckland.ac.nz/en/for/future-and-current-students/becoming-a-postgraduate-student-in-the-jgs.html
Marsden Fund https://royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/funds-and-opportunities/marsden