Earth Scientist 2: Cloud-Aerosol-Precipitation Interactions Modeler

18 December 2023 - 18 January 2024

The Atmospheric, Climate, & Earth Sciences Division at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) seeks a research scientist that will discover new insights into cloud microphysical processes, aerosol-cloud interactions, and their climatic impacts. Research will involve investigation into aerosol effects on clouds and cloud effects on aerosols via warm rain, ice nucleation, and mixed phase processes across a range of cloud types from boundary layer liquid to deep convective clouds.

The Earth Scientist 2 is expected to use long-term and/or field campaign observations with model output from kilometer-scale and large-eddy simulations to address hypotheses. Work will heavily involve cloud microphysics parameterization modification and development including coupling with aerosol chemistry parameterizations. Thus, extensive knowledge of the physical processes controlling cloud-aerosol-precipitation interactions and how they are parameterized in models, including understanding of bulk, bin, and Lagrangian microphysics scheme implementations, is vital. The candidate will work with a team of scientists at PNNL, other national labs as well as universities on topics of common interest. The project team is addressing scientific challenges associated with surface-atmosphere-cloud coupling, transitions in cloud populations, and evolution of carbonaceous aerosol populations and the candidate is expected to bridge these topics.