The Gulf Stream control of the North Atlantic carbon sink
Not stated
- Location
- Southampton, United Kingdom
- Funding
- INSPIRE studentships (NERC funded); UKRI standard levels, including recent cost of living increase
- Application deadline
- See university guidance
About the project
The ocean provides a crucial uptake of carbon from the atmosphere, acting to moderate the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from human emissions, with a major fraction of the ocean CO 2 uptake taking place in the North Atlantic. As the main ocean current in the North Atlantic, the Gulf Stream is known to play a key role in controlling regional and global climate, by redistributing heat between low and high latitudes. However, the role of ocean circulation and, in particular, the Gulf Stream, in controlling the North Atlantic carbon sink is far less certain, which critically hampers our capacity to predict the sink’s future evolution.
In this project, this key knowledge gap will be addressed by investigating the mechanisms that control the impact of the Gulf Stream on CO 2 uptake locally, along the stream path, and downstream, in the subpolar North Atlantic. Specifically, you will address the question of how the vertical and lateral mixing of the warm, nutrient-rich, anthropogenic carbon-poor waters of the Gulf Stream regulates the biological and physical uptake of carbon dioxide.
The project is based on the analysis of state-of-the-art physical and biogeochemical data collected with autonomous vehicles along and across the Gulf Stream pathway in the North Atlantic.
For full project details visit the Inspire project page .
Supervisors
- Dr Bieito Fernández Castro (University of Southampton)
- Dr Louis Clément (National Oceanography Centre)
- Professor Alberto Naveira Garabato (University of Southampton)
- Dr Robyn Tuerena (Scottish Association for Marine Science)
- Dr Carl Spingys (University of Southampton)
Dr Bieito Fernandez Castro
- Turbulent mixing
- Ocean dynamics and circulation
- Ocean biogeochemical (carbon) cycles
Supervisors
- Supervisors: Professor Alberto Naveira Garabato Regius Professor of Ocean Sciences
Professor Alberto Naveira Garabato
- Professor Alberto Naveira Garabato: Regius Professor of Ocean Sciences
Entry requirements
A 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent , in one of these subjects:
- any numerate discipline
- geophysics
- mathematics
- oceanography
- marine science
- physics
Fees and funding
INSPIRE studentships are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, part of UK Research and Innovation, UKRI). The stipend is in line with UKRI standard levels, including the recent cost of living increase.
All studentships are fully funded for 3.5 years.
How to apply
To make an application, visit the how to apply section of the INSPIRE website .
Contact us
For questions about the project, contact Dr Bieito Fernández Castro.
Email: b.fernandez-castro@soton.ac.uk
For questions about the application process, contact the graduate school office.
Email: gsnocs@soton.ac.uk