Impact of climate change on low-level jets in the English Channel and North Sea region: contribution of artificial intelligence

Low-level jets (LLJs) are low-altitude layers of air where the wind is enhanced. This pretty common phenomenon (~15 % of the time in Dunkerque) can impact aviation, wind energy production, pollutant dispersion and maritime traffic. Different types of LLJs exist in Dunkerque, notably the land/sea breezes, the channeling of air masses in the Dover Straight, or LLJs generated by the passage of a meteorological front. As a beginning, the PhD student will seek to determine if the different types of LLJs are properly rendered in the weather reanalyzes of the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF), building upon previous work of the team (analysis of several years of wind profiles from a Doppler lidar and case study simulations using the mesoscale weather model WRF). This will allow to define detection criteria and numerical parameter characterizing the different LLJ types on the weather reanalyzes data, thus build a training ensemble. The PhD student will then develop, with the team support, an automatic classification algorithm using supervised machine learning, to detect the different types of LLJs on the weather reanalyzes. Finally, this algorithm will be applied on long time-series (the ECMWF reanalyzes go back to 1940) and the results will allow to study the evolution of the frequency of occurrence of the different types of LLJs in the climate change context.

More details can be found on the Euraxess website.

The Laboratory for Physico-Chemistry of the Atmosphere (LPCA, Dunkerque) is a research unit belonging to the research pole Environment, Marine and Littoral Spaces of the University of Littoral, Côte d'Opale. It is a member of the CaPPA Labex. The LPCA conducts fundamental and applied research in Physics and Chemistry, aiming at better understanding the impact of human activities in the environmental field and in particular in the atmospheric field. The scientific project is structured in three themes, including theoretical approaches, experimental developments in the lab and field campaigns.

The PhD student will belong to the theme ACTE (“ACcompanying Envrionmental Transitions”) which specificity is to study the coupling between atmospheric dynamics and microphysical and chemical properties of pollution aerosols in the near-field (a few hundred to thousands meters from the sources) in an industrial or mixed environment (urban-industrial). Inside this theme, the student will work in the group "Atmospheric Dynamics" specialized in the study of the influence of local meteorological phenomena on air pollution, particularly in coastal areas.

This group relies on important experimental means (several wind lidars, wind sodar, wind radar, ultrasonic anemometers...) but also possesses expertise in mesoscale weather modelling (MesoNH and WRF models). This group regularly carries out field campaigns, including abroad (Hanoi, Fairbanks...) in collaboration with the other regional labs members of the ECRIN proejct or other partners. The gorupe also has an expertise in the use of artificial intelligence in atmospheric sciences, for instance to detecte peculiar atmospheric phenomena (fog, sea breezes...) on weather station data or to detect coherent turbulent structures on Doppler lidar horizontal sweeps. 

The candidate should have a Master’s degree in climate sciences or meteorology, or a Master’s degree in physics with a major in environment or climate. Skills in data analysis and computer programming (Matlab or equivalent) are mandatory, as well as a good level in English (writen and spoken). NB. Applications with a Master specialty distant from the subject (e.g. quantum physics or nanomaterials) have infinitesimal chances to succeed.