The University of Bergen is a world leader in climate research. Bergen has multiple climate research centers and amazing collaboration opportunities.Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes. We hope you will consider joining us where the Norwegian mountains meets the Atlantic Ocean!
Send us an email (Hans.Christian.Steen-Larsen at uib.no) or stop by our research group for a cup of coffee (location: room 485, 4th floor, Allégaten 55) to hear more about opportunities to join our research group and field work which takes us to all three Poles and the Caribbean. If you are a current or future master student we offer research related student job opportunities. For international students check out the possibilities for joining the University of Bergen here.
Master thesis projects
Project: Modeling the energy balance of the snowpack in the non-melt zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Objective: The objective of this research project is to close the energy budget for the snow pack and be able to simulate the snow temperatures of the Greenland Ice Sheet. This is important for our ability to predict when melting occurs on the ice sheet and hence our ability to accurately simulate the mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet. More information here (pdf). This project is related to field work in Greenland.
Project: Measuring the mass balance in the interior of the Greenland Ice Sheet
Objective: The objective of this research project is to quantify the mass balance of the interior of the Greenland Ice Sheet where a sublimation and condensation plays significant roles. Through a combination of snow height measurements, gradient measurements, and multiple Eddy-Covariance measurements, the project will determine the magnitude and uncertainties of the different components of the mass balance. For our ability to simulate the mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet and its contribution to sea level rise it is important to know the relative uncertainties of the mass balance components. More information here (pdf). This project is related to field work in Greenland
Project: Understanding the physical processes governing the formation of precipitation
Objective: This research project focuses on understanding the processes involved in moisture uptake and storage in the atmosphere. Using water stable isotopes the objective is to understand the physical processes between atmospheric water vapor and precipitation. We have at Bermuda the longest calibrated record of continuous atmospheric water vapor isotopes and daily precipitation isotope measurements giving us a unique opportunity to combine theoretical calculations and model simulations with observations. More information here (pdf). This project is related to field work in Bermuda.
Project: Quantifying how the climate is recorded in the ice core water isotope signal
Objective: This research project is closely linked with the funded European Research Council project SNOWISO and H2020 project BEOI and is focused on understanding the climatic drivers of the water isotope signal in the snow, which falls on top of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheet. Through a combination of moisture tracking, climate models, and direct observations of the water isotopic composition of the precipitation and the surface snow the aim is to improve our ability to understand the paleoclimate record from the ice cores by understanding the climate fingerprint in the water isotopes. More information here (pdf). This project is related to field work in Greenland
Project: Understanding the drivers of the hydrological cycle over the Tibetan Plateau
Objective: The ‘third pole’ is the planet’s largest reservoir of ice and snow after the Arctic and Antarctic. Meltwater feeds ten great rivers, including the Indus, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Yellow and Yangtze, on which almost one-fifth of the world’s population depends. However, we still lack a quantitative understanding of the role of each process in the overall water budget. The research project focuses on obtaining a better understanding of the relationships between the third pole’s complex terrain and the weather patterns and processes that affect precipitation and ice-melting. As models struggle to reproduce the climate over the third pole the overall objective is improve the models to guide regional strategies for adapting to climate change, for preserving and restoring ecosystems and conserving biodiversity. More information here (pdf). This project is in collaboration with Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research and China’s Pan-TPE research program and is related to field work in Tibet.