Heatwaves negatively impact human health, infrastructure, and natural ecosystems. Observations highlight that the frequency, magnitude and duration of heatwaves are increasing and new discoveries have identified the physical mechanisms that explain these changes. These include how human emissions of carbon dioxide have increased the risk of high-impact heatwaves. To link observations with future risk requires climate models but these lack key heatwave processes.
This PhD project will use climate model simulations to examine how sensitive attribution assessments of high-impact heatwaves to human emissions of carbon dioxide are to the representation of key physical processes. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated strong understanding in climate processes, such as modes variability, meteorology, and land surface interactions.