PhD in atmosphere and climate dynamics (100%) in Zürich

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specializing in science and technology. It is renowned for its excellent education, its cutting-edge fundamental research and its efforts to put new knowledge and innovations directly into practice. We invite applications for a PhD position under the supervision of Dr. Gabriel Chiodo and Prof. Thomas Peter in the Atmospheric Chemistry Research Group at the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH Zurich. The PhD position will be funded through the SNF Ambizione grant PZ00P2_180043.

The research project aims at better understanding the role of ozone-climate interactions in the climate system, with focus on Northern Hemisphere (NH) climate variability and change. Presently, the majority of weather and climate models do not include interactive ozone chemistry, thereby missing potential feedbacks between the ozone layer, atmospheric circulation, and global climate. The PhD project will combine observations and a hierarchy of models, offering a unique opportunity to assess the role of the ozone layer in NH and global climate. Among the key goals of the thesis, the PhD student will (1) investigate the impact of stratospheric ozone on the dynamical coupling between the stratosphere and troposphere, (2) evaluate the role of the ozone layer as a source of predictability in surface weather and climate, and (3) develop a simplified ozone scheme to capture ozone-circulation feedbacks.
The main tasks of the PhD student will be to analyze data from models ranging from atmosphere-only to global coupled Earth System Models with interactive ozone chemistry. In particular, the candidate will develop and implement a new simplified ozone scheme. This method provides a way to simulate the ozone-circulation coupling, without having interactive chemistry, offering potential for applicability in the future generation of models contributing to the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
The project duration is three years and the position can be taken as soon as possible.

We look forward to receiving your online application including the following documents: CV, academic transcripts, and a 1-page motivation letter (stating research experience and interests). Please provide the contact information of at least two potential referees. Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.