Enhanced freshwater fluxes from the Arctic Ocean and Greenland ice sheet are widely identified as an important mechanism causing reductions of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The additional freshwater input has the potential to reach areas where deep waters are formed where it increases the upper-ocean stratification, limits deep convection, and reduces the strength of the AMOC. However, despite its critical importance, the variability, pathways, and large-scale impacts of Arctic freshwater remain poorly constrained. 

The appointed PhD candidate will investigate the export pathways of freshwater from the Arctic Ocean and their downstream impacts on convection and dense water formation (overturning) in the Nordic Seas and subpolar North Atlantic. The PhD project will rely on the analysis of available observations, data from high-resolution models and reanalyses, Lagrangian simulations, and new NorESM (Norwegian Earth System Model) simulations with realistic freshwater fluxes from the Greenland ice sheet.

The PhD candidate will be supervised by Dr. Marius Årthun. The PhD candidate will be connected to “Arctic Ocean 2050”, a major ten?year national research program aimed at advancing our understanding of the present state and future evolution of the Arctic Ocean. The program brings together 18 Norwegian partners and combines interdisciplinary fieldwork, innovation, and cutting-edge ocean and climate modelling. As a PhD-candidate at the Geophysical Institute at University of Bergen, you will also be affiliated with the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Norway’s leading climate research community.