Exploring the climate-relevant properties of aerosol in the Southern Ocean atmosphere

Overview

Are you curious about how the Earth’s most remote oceans shape our climate?

The Southern Ocean and Antarctic regions are among the fastest-changing and least-understood parts of the planet. A key reason climate models struggle to simulate clouds in the Southern Ocean is a misrepresentation of aerosols, which are tiny particles that seed cloud formation and modulate Earth’s energy balance. Understanding where these particles come from, how they are transformed, and how they link to the broader atmospheric system is essential for improving our picture of Southern Ocean climate. This project gives you the opportunity to dig into real expedition data from one of the most pristine yet rapidly changing environments on Earth, using modern data science tools to uncover the atmospheric processes at work.

Research engagement

Students will engage with this project primarily through data analysis of aerosol and meteorological measurements collected during Southern Ocean research voyages, using data science and machine learning. Supervisors will guide students in selecting appropriate analysis techniques and implementing them, with support available throughout.

Research activities

Students will analyze real expedition data including particle number size distributions (PNSD), cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations, and aerosol number concentrations, alongside underway meteorological measurements and HYSPLIT back-trajectory data describing the history of air masses arriving at the ship. Students will apply clustering techniques (such as k-means) to identify groupings in the aerosol size distribution data and investigate how air mass origin and history, including exposure to biologically active waters, sea ice, and precipitation, relate to observed aerosol properties. The goal is to uncover geographical and meteorological dependencies in the measurements and connect them to known atmospheric processes.

Research skills

Students will develop practical skills in data analysis and visualisation using Python, R, or MATLAB, with hands-on experience in methods including cluster analysis and dimensionality reduction. They will gain experience working within an active research group investigating atmospheric processes, with direct mentorship from specialists in the field.

Outcomes

Students will produce an analysis of the geographical and meteorological dependencies in Southern Ocean aerosol observations, characterise how air mass history shapes aerosol properties, and contribute to a broader understanding of aerosol–cloud interactions in a climatically significant region.

Skills and experience

The most important qualities are curiosity and enthusiasm for understanding the natural world and coding experience (Python preferred, though R and MATLAB are also fine). Any background in atmospheric science, data science, chemistry, or physics is a bonus.

Start date

2 November, 2026

End date

19 February, 2027

Location

P Block Gardens Point

Additional information

Students will have access to an existing dataset and analysis pipeline developed by the research group, giving them a solid foundation to build on. A dedicated desk and workstation will be provided within the research group. Jakob Pernov will serve as daily supervisor and Branka Miljevic as mentoring supervisor, with support available from the broader team as needed.

Keywords

• Southern Ocean/Antarctica
• Atmospheric aerosols
• data analysis

Contact

Dr. Jakob Boyd Pernov

+61403030563

jakob.pernov@qut.edu.au