Postdoctoral Fellowship in Physical Oceanography — Rossby Waves and Ocean Energy Partition
Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (IOUSP), Brazil
City: São Paulo, SP (on site)
Supervision: Paulo S. Polito
Project: ComPASSO — Propagating Components of the Surface and Subsurface Ocean Height Anomaly (FAPESP Regular Research Grant 2026/01778-5)
Deadline for applications: September 20, 2026
Expected start: November 2026
The position
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is weakening, and the accompanying changes in stratification modify the Rossby deformation radius, and with it the phase speed and energy of baroclinic Rossby waves. Whether that chain reaches the transport of the upper limb of the MOC is an open question, and testing it requires a rigorous separation of the dynamical components superposed in sea surface height anomaly.
ComPASSO applies a chain of two-dimensional spectral filters in wavenumber–frequency space to three decades of daily global altimetry, separating the interannual trend, the seasonal cycle, first-mode baroclinic Rossby waves by dynamical regime (long, critical, short), second-mode waves, equatorial Kelvin and Yanai waves, and a residual dominated by mesoscale eddies.
The fellow will lead the global application of the method: mapping of the phase-velocity pseudo-vector including its meridional component, wavelet analysis of the temporal evolution of kinetic energy per wave regime, correlation with western boundary current variability from GLORYS, and validation against in situ observations from the MOC arrays at 34.5°S (SAMOC/SAMBAR) and 26°N (RAPID/MOCHA). Three first-author manuscripts are planned, for JGR: Oceans (two) and JPO.
Requirements
PhD in physical oceanography, meteorology, physics, or a related field, obtained less than seven years before the start of the fellowship. Knowledge of geophysical fluid dynamics with emphasis on planetary waves; experience with spectral analysis and digital filtering; scientific programming for large data sets in Python; first-author publications in international peer-reviewed journals. Prior work with satellite altimetry (CMEMS/DUACS), ocean reanalyses, or MOC array data is an advantage.
Terms
FAPESP Post-Doctoral Fellowship: R$ 12,570.00 per month, exempt from income tax, plus a Technical Reserve equivalent to 10% of the annual value for research expenses. Up to 36 months, within the grant period. Installation allowance available to those who must relocate; fellows may apply for a Research Internship Abroad (BEPE). Full-time dedication is required; the fellow may not hold employment or another fellowship. Open to candidates of any nationality.
How to apply
Send a single PDF to polito@usp.br, subject line "ComPASSO PD — your surname", containing: a cover letter (up to two pages), a curriculum vitae in the FAPESP Súmula Curricular format, a full publication list with DOIs plus up to three selected papers, and the names and emails of two referees.
Links
- Fellowship rules: https://fapesp.br/bolsas/pd
- Stipend values: https://fapesp.br/valores
- Súmula Curricular template: https://fapesp.br/5266
- The project: https://bv.fapesp.br/pt/auxilios/121013/
- The group (LOS): https://sites.usp.br/los/
- Informal enquiries before applying are welcome at polito@usp.br