Research Fellow in Physical Geography and Environmental Science

Job Description

We are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Researcher for a two-year position in Land Ice Earth Observation. The role is part of the Ice Sheet Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise (IMBIE) an international project funded by the European Space Agency and NASA.

The specific goal is to develop estimates of ice sheet mass trends at fine temporal and spatial resolution from satellite data to track the evolution of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets from the 1990s to present day. These data are crucial for assessing the impacts of climate change on Earth’s polar regions, for quantifying the sea level contribution due to the polar ice sheets, and for evaluating ice sheet models and constraining their projections.

You will be responsible for combining ice sheet mass balance estimates derived from satellite observations of ice sheet volume change, ice discharge, and Earth’s gravity to conduct assessments of Greenland and Antarctica mass trends. This work will contribute to international efforts including that of the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP7 (ISMIP7) and the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).

You will produce periodic reports to document the progress of your work and write scientific publications to describe new advances and findings. In addition, you will have the opportunity to contribute to international climate assessment reports to communicate your results to a wider audience. You will also have the freedom to focus on goals of specific interest to you within the broad remit of the project and making wider use of the IMBIE dataset.

IMBIE is the international consortium producing the global community estimate of ice sheet mass balance that is widely used for science, as a climate indicator, within assessments of climate change, and as the benchmark for adaptation and mitigation. As a member of this international team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with international partners and space agencies, participate in scientific project meetings, and present your work at leading conferences and workshops in glaciology, sea level science, and Earth Observation.

You will work within the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) based in the School of Geography and Natural Sciences within the Faculty of Engineering and Environment at Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK. The School of Geography and Natural Sciences is home to a large number of cryosphere researchers, with regular seminars and events bringing together experts in cryosphere Earth Observation, ice sheet numerical modelling, and polar oceanography.

• A PhD in a quantitative subject such as physics, applied mathematics, computer science or engineering, or a related, numerate discipline, such as glaciology, geophysics or meteorology
• Skills in scientific programming and a track record of analysing and interpreting large geophysical datasets
• Knowledge and experience of Earth Observation techniques

Closing date: 9th October 2026 at 11:59pm

Start Date:

aiming at January 2027

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