The post involves computer modelling on the project GHG Platform – Nitrous Oxide Emission Factors. The main aim of this project is to reduce uncertainty in the UK national agricultural nitrous oxide (N2O) inventory and enhance regional inventory reporting through increased understanding of processes and factors controlling emissions.

This will require generation of Tier 2 (and potentially Tier 3) emission factors through measurements and modelling, verifying emission factors and testing of appropriate cost-effective mitigation methods. These activities will build on existing knowledge / projects, including the current inventory project.

The successful applicant will use computer models to:

a) interpolate between missing data at the measurement sites,

b) test the predictive capacity of the proxies,

c) to assess the attribution of flux measurements to different drivers for defining Tier 2 emission factors (EFs),

d) estimate Tier 2 EFs (e.g. soil, climate, region, crop, rotation, fertilizer specific) and quantify confidence / uncertainty about the EFs,

e) assess the efficacy of mitigation options, and

f) run spatial models for the whole of the UK (Tier 3 model runs).