About the Project
Project Overview:
Ocean heat changes at the eastern North Atlantic and the corresponding air-sea fluxes can have great impacts on climate. This PhD project investigates ocean properties, including heat and freshwater budgets, and water mass transformation, linking ocean circulation to atmospheric heat release and biogeochemical supply and evaluates their effects on the European weather.
Project Description:
Poleward transport in the North Atlantic Current (NAC) is an integral component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) at subpolar latitudes. The associated fluxes of physical and biogeochemical properties have an order-one impact on the marine economy and ecology of western Europe, while the release of heat from the NAC into the atmosphere has been shown to be the biggest ocean-atmosphere buoyancy exchange signal in the subpolar gyre. Against a backdrop of destabilising Atlantic circulation patterns, a robust, observation-based understanding of these mechanisms is urgently required to improve ocean-climate predictions for Europe. Two longstanding efforts to observe circulation and hydrography in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic are the Ellett Array (west of Scotland) and the OVIDE section (Portugal-to-Greenland). At present, these cross-sections are used independently to calculate ocean fluxes and overturning. Used in combination, these two datasets provide a unique opportunity to directly measure the horizontal convergence of properties in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic. It is this convergence which sustains net heat delivery to the atmosphere and governs the supply of biogeochemical properties to the continental shelf. To date, however, there have been no studies focused explicitly on measuring convergence in the NAC and its impact on European weather and exchanges with the UK continental shelf. This PhD project will use the extensive range of ocean observing systems in the northeast Atlantic, centred around the Ellett Array and OVIDE datasets as well as Argo, to provide observational estimates of the convergence of ocean properties in the NAC and to quantify its influence on atmospheric, through combination with atmospheric reanalysis, and coastal marine conditions in western Europe.
This project will be located in Southampton.
Training:
The IGNITE programme provides comprehensive personal and professional development training alongside extensive opportunities for students to expand their multi-disciplinary outlook through interactions with a wide network of academic, research and industrial/policy partners.
– Programming in Python and other programming languages; – Moorings and CTD data processing; – Knowledge and interpretation of dynamical and biogeochemical oceanography; – Opportunities for participating in Ellett Array or OVIDE seagoing expeditions; – Potential to analyse realistic ocean model fields; – Presenting research findings at national and international conferences.
Entry Requirements:
A UK bachelor’s degree with upper second-class honours or higher in a relevant subject. See international equivalent qualifications on the University’s website: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/international/entry-qualification-equivalencies. English language: IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components. We accept other English language tests: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/admissions/admissions-policies/language.page
How to apply:
All applications to the IGNITE Doctoral Landscape Award should be submitted by 11:59pm on Thursday 8th January 2026. Please use the following link to apply for either the full time or part time programme:
We advise you to contact the lead supervisor of a project to discuss the project and check your suitability before submitting an application. You are strongly advised to apply for one project so that you can tailor your application to the project but you can apply for a maximum of two projects. Both UK and international students are eligible to apply for an IGNITE award. However, NERC stipulates that a maximum of 30% of IGNITE studentships (usually 5 studentships per year) can be provided to international applicants so competition for these studentships is very high. We welcome applications from applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds but recognise systemic barriers to entry into postgraduate research for certain groups. To support this, IGNITE has an opt-in guaranteed interview scheme for qualifying UK applicants who self-identify as racially minoritised (i.e., come from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background). Please contact nerc-dla@soton.ac.uk once you have submitted a complete application to opt into this scheme.
IGNITE DLA Webinar
Watch the IGNITE Doctoral Landscape Award webinar here. Find out more about the IGNITE DLA programme, the application process and what happens if you are shortlisted for interview.
Funding Notes
The IGNITE Doctoral Landscape Award funds PhD researchers for 3.5 years, full- or part-time. An IGNITE DLA studentship includes a tax-free stipend at the UKRI standard rate (£20,780 for the academic year 2025/26). Funding covers Home tuition fees; the difference between Home and International tuition fees will be waived by the University. The IGNITE DLA provides a Research Training Support Grant of £2200 per year (£7700 across the 3.5 years) to be used on small project costs, conference attendance and individual training needs.
References
– Mercier, H., Desbruyères, D., Lherminier, P., Velo, A., Carracedo, L., Fontela, M., and Pérez, F. F. (2024). New insights into the eastern subpolar North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation from OVIDE, Ocean Sci., 20, 779–797, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-779-2024. – Jones, S. C., Fraser, N. J., Cunningham, S. A., Fox, A. D., and Inall, M. E. (2023). Observation-based estimates of volume, heat, and freshwater exchanges between the subpolar North Atlantic interior, its boundary currents, and the atmosphere, Ocean Sci., 19, 169–192, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-169-2023.
