Tropical Cyclone and Regional Climate Model Research Scientist

Duty statement

1. Develop new and innovative approaches to analyse observed climate data and the output of regional climate model simulations to evaluate model performance against observations for the South Pacific.  A focus for this work is tropical cyclones and the development of projections for changes in tropical cyclone occurrence for the South Pacific   The successful applicant will be expected to compare projections from different models and identify the physical processes that explain the key differences between models.
2. The projections developed in this project will be used to inform decision making in the region; thus there will be a need to consult with regional stakeholders and scientists involved in risk and adaptation research to identify their requirements for model outputs.
3. Publish research results in scientific journals and through seminars and conference presentations
4. Stay abreast of national and international developments in climate projections science.

Additional Position Information

The Pacific Climate Change Science Program (PCCSP) is part of the Australian Government’s International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative to meet high priority climate change adaptation needs in vulnerable countries in our region.  The PCCSP will provide improved climate change science information for planners and decision makers in the Pacific and East Timor.

The lead science agencies for the PCCSP will be the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO through their research partnership in The Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research. The Centre will provide a collaborative research environment for developing the PCCSP with countries in the region, regional organisations, other international science agencies and Australian universities. 

The PCCSP provides a strategic framework for climate change research in the Pacific and East Timor through four research components:

• Recent and current climate and trends to underpin improved projections of future climate change (Component 1);
• Major regional climate phenomena (South Pacific Convergence Zone, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the monsoon) which drive seasonal and year-to-year variations in rainfall, winds and tropical cyclones (Component 2);
• Regional and country level climate projections through more detailed climate projections and fine-resolution modelling (Component 3); and
• Ocean processes including sea level rise and ocean acidification (Component 4).

The appointee will join the PCCSP component 3 aimed at providing comprehensive and up-to-date regional climate change projections including changes to tropical cyclones. The component will also provide tailored products for application in impact studies