The new generation of land carbon-nitrogen-cycle models show that nitrogen feedbacks attenuate the responses of the carbon cycle to perturbations, thereby affecting long-term projections of climate change. However, the magnitude of this effect is very different between the models leading to considerable uncertainty in projected rates of climate change.
This PhD project seeks to better understand and quantify this uncertainty by developing and systematically assessing alternative model components in a common, already existing framework. Key observations of global carbon-nitrogen cycling will be used to evaluate competing process formulations.
The thoroughly examined set of model components, linked in a common global modelling framework, will be used to make ensemble projections of the effects of future global change on terrestrial feedbacks to the climate system, systematically assessing uncertainty in these projections stemming from uncertainty in both parametric and process-formulation of global carbon-nitrogen cycle modelling.
3-years PhD-position Systematic assessment of uncertainty in coupled carbon-nitrogen cycle models and their climate feedbacks
