[This might be of interest to some list members.  Please respond directly
to Phil Moore if so.]

Derivation of Ocean Bottom Pressure and Land Hydrological
Signals from Satellite Gravity Measurements

2 Post-doctoral Researchers
2 PhD Studentships

Applications are invited for the above positions to work on a
collaborative 3.5 year NERC funded research project between the
Universities of Newcastle and Reading and the Proudman Oceanographic
Laboratory.  The project is aimed at exploiting temporal gravity field
variations from the gravity field missions CHAMP/GRACE with
applications to oceanography, hydrology and glaciology.  This is an
entirely new type of remote sensing data, which will revolutionize our
understanding of the mass redistributions over the Earth.  The project
involves both data retrieval and interpretation and an investigation
of high frequency fluctuations in global mass distributions to
quantify aliasing, which is expected to be the dominant error source
in monthly maps of oceanographic, atmospheric and hydrological mass
anomalies.

Post-doctoral researchers: (1) Department of Geomatics, Newcastle
University and (2) Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory.  The first of
these positions will play a leading role in the underlying gravity
field recovery procedures as required to utilise GPS positioning,
non-gravitational forces measured by on-board accelerometers, and
inter-satellite range and range-rate from GRACE.  The second is to
develop a global barotropic ocean model for high frequency
oceanographic signals and to assemble data to describe global mass
distributions on sub-seasonal time scales.  The characterisation of
the mass signals in space and time will be input into the gravity
field recovery to quantify potential errors.  Candidates should
ideally have a PhD and first degree in mathematics, physics,
oceanography or a similarly related numerical subject.  Starting
salary will be in the range of =A316,775 - =A318,731 depending on
experience.  Closing date for applicants 9 March 2001.

NERC PhD Studentships: (1) Departments of Civil Engineering and
Geomatics; Newcastle University and (2) Environmental Systems Science
Centre, Reading University.  The first studentship will investigate a
number of innovative uses of GRACE data for the total terrestrial
water column, in global and regional hydrological studies of the
continental water budget.  He/she will assist in validation of the
GRACE hydrological product and utilise river run off data to separate
the total water column into ground and surface water components.  The
second will work on developing methods for assimilating the ocean
bottom pressure as inferred from GRACE into ocean circulation models.
The data will be combined with altimetry and in situ ship and buoy
profile data to study problems in ocean thermohaline circulation.
Eligibility restricted to UK students although applicants from other
EU countries are eligible for a fees only award.

Further details for all the above posts can be obtained from the web
page http://geomatics.ncl.ac.uk/research/projects/grace/gracead.htm or
by contacting Professor P Moore, Department of Geomatics, University
of Newcastle, Newcastle, NE1 7RU, UK.  Tel: 0191 222 5040; email
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