Have you ever thought about how we predict the Earth’s future climate? It’s a complex task requiring advanced Earth System Models (ESMs) that link together the atmosphere, ocean and land surface to capture climate interactions and feedbacks. Calibrating ESMs is critical to our confidence in their predictions but tends to focus on the northern hemisphere where the major ESM development centres are based. This can lead to gaps in model capability for remote southern hemisphere regions and creates uncertainty in our climate predictions.
The summer project will centre on evaluating and calibrating key atmospheric and climate properties in an Earth System Model using observations. The research will focus on the Southern Ocean, which is an importance influence on New Zealand’s climate. Outcomes will inform the next-generation ESMs used in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) activities that inform Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments which underpin national and international climate policy.
The project will suit a candidate with a numerical degree (e.g. physics, applied mathematics, chemistry, atmospheric science, chemistry, engineering, applied mathematics) and an interest in atmospheric science and climate modelling. Programming experience with Python, R or similar, and skills working with large data sets would be advantageous.
Supervisors
Primary Supervisor: Catherine Hardacre
Other Supervisor(s): Laura Revell
Application and funding
This is a UC Commitments Summer Scholarship research project. Emailed applications will not be considered. Find out more here: University of Canterbury Scholarship Portal - UC Commitments Summer Scholarship
Final date for receiving applications
25 September 2026
