Commencing August/September 2000 for approximately 34 months
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists discovered the Antarctic ozone hole in 1984. This is your chance to continue the work that led to this discovery.
BAS requires two scientists to work on meteorological and related atmospheric science programmes, at BAS stations in the Antarctic. The collected data provide the basis for climatological and physical meteorological re search carried out within the Physical Sciences Division of BAS.
The Meteorology and Ozone Monitoring Unit has one vacancy at Halley station (76.0 S, 27.0 W), which is located on the Brunt Ice Shelf and one vacancy at Rothera station (67.0 S, 68.0 W) located on Adelaide Island. The two stations form part of a world-wide network of geophysical observatories.
Halley research station is an important observatory studying the Antarctic ozone "hole". It makes regular measurements of the stratospheric ozone content, and participates in international projects to measure trace chemicals, w hich are crucial to the processes leading to ozone depletion. Regular upper air soundings are made at the station using balloon-borne radio sondes. The physics of the surface boundary layer is studied using instruments carried by small kites and on mas ts. Other background pollution studies include taking snow and air samples for later isotopic and trace gas analysis in the UK.
At Rothera meteorological support is provided for summer aircraft operations. A number of remote automatic weather stations located along the Antarctic Peninsula and on Alexander Island are serviced from the station. The station has a receiving system for AVHRR imagery. Projects on cloud physics will be deployed in the near future.
Both stations make meteorological observations every three hours using an interactive, PC-based Automatic Weather Station, designed to facilitate data gathering and analysis. They also have weather satellite image receivers, which are used to aid local weather forecasting. Each station has a number of IBM compatible PCS networked using Novell netware to a unix system.
The successful candidates are specifically responsible for one or more of the programmes, maintaining the equipment in good working order and dealing with their observations promptly. Each scientist is a member of a small multi-disciplinary team of scientists and support staff; as such, he/she will be expected to be adaptable and work on other programmes and to take his/her share of general base work. As the stations are isolated for most of the year, the ability to work without detailed supervision and to solve problems as they arise is paramount. Vacancies exist both for those with experience in instrument electronics and for those with a scientific qualification who have some p ractical interest in the atmosphere, electronics or computing.
Full training will be given in the techniques of meteorological observation and on the equipment used, starting in September 2000. Staff are expected to fly to the Antarctic in November 2000, returning to the UK in May 2003, when they may be requested to spend up to three months evaluating their field work.
Further information can be found at: http://www.nbs.ac.uk/public/icd
This will be a challenging and demanding opportunity in an extreme and isolated environment. Applicants to work overseas must therefore by physically fit and the position would best suit someone without committing responsibilitie s and who would enjoy living in a predominantly young community.
Qualifications: A degree or HND in Physics, Meteorology, Electronic Engineering or a related subject. Alternatively, a minimum of two years practical meteorological or electronics experience, supported by A levels or HNC in Physics or Electronics. Familiarity with IBM-PC compatible computers would be an advantage.
See separate handout for general information and details of Salary and Conditions of Service.
Completed Employer's application form should be sent to:
Personnel Section, British Antarctic Survey, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET
Tel: Cambridge (01223) 221508/7
Quote job reference: PS2/00
Closing date for completed applications: 28 January 2000
(NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL}