Two-year post-doctoral scientist position at the UCLouvain, Belgium, focused on developing machine learning-based parameterizations of leads opening and closing in a sea ice model
Sea ice models rely on equations derived from our understanding of physical processes. However, some processes cannot be resolved explicitly due to the coarse spatial model resolution or to incomplete understanding of the processes involved, and thus must be parametrized. These parameterizations are a dominant source of uncertainty and contribute significantly to biases in climate models. Parameterizations can be based on the system’s dynamics or rely on relatively simple hypotheses. For instance, some sea ice models include a minimum fraction of leads (open water areas within the ice pack) to account for opening mechanisms that are not captured by the model, preventing unphysically low simulated lead fractions to occur in winter. Recently, machine learning techniques have been proposed to derive parameterizations directly from observations. The objective here is to develop a new parameterization of leads opening and closing in the sea ice model SI3 using this approach.
In this framework, applications are open for the following position:
Post-doctoral researcher
Starting date: Ideally in February 2025 but can be negotiated
Full time position for 24 months
two Postdoctoral researchers Diversity of Xylella fastidiosa on forest and agriculture trees and shrubs in temperate climates
The Earth & Life Institute, applied microbiology department, plant health lab at UC Louvain is offering two post-doctoral position in plant bacteriology to investigate the potential impact of Xylella fastidiosa present in under-studied regions in the USA to forest and agricultural trees and shrubs, in the frame of a collaborative project funded by the European Food Safety Authority aiming at gathering a better understanding of the risk caused by X. fastidiosa in temperate climatic zones, with Rodrigo Almeida (University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA) and Boris Vinatzer (Virginia Tech, VA, USA). The candidates are expected to contribute to ground-breaking research in comparative genomics, microbial ecology and evolution, plant-microbe interactions, with direct impact on pest risk assessment.
Bourse de doctorat : Analyse de solutions alternatives aux insecticides dans un cadre de changement climatique
La recherche d’alternatives à l’utilisation d’insecticides de synthèse fait l’objet d’un consensus de plus en plus large. De nombreuses solutions sont actuellement proposées comme l’utilisation d’huiles essentielles ou encore de parasitoïdes pour lutter contre les principales espèces de ravageurs en culture. Cependant, l’efficacité de ces nouvelles techniques doit aussi correspondre aux nécessités liées aux changements climatiques. C’est dans ce cadre que se place ce projet. Deux orientations sont prévues. La première consiste à utiliser des huiles essentielles par injection directe dans le tronc des pommiers pour les protéger contre leurs ravageurs. L’effet des températures élevée sur l’efficacité de cette méthode sera analysée. La deuxième orientation portera sur les parasitoïdes de pucerons et leurs adaptations aux températures extrêmes. Un travail de sélection de souches de parasitoïdes plus résistantes aux aléas climatiques sera réalisé dans cette activité.
Researcher for Automatic local deforestation detection by satellite observation assessing the forest evolution according to the new EU Regulation on deforestation-free products
The successful applicant will join a motivated team of young researchers in satellite remote sensing and will be in charge of methodological research and IT development to design, test and demonstrate an autonomous module of satellite data processing to detect on request any local deforestation patterns since 2020.