Remote Sensing Solutions, Inc. Ocean Modeling and Prediction Internship

Host: Remote Sensing Solutions, Inc., is a small research and development (R&D) company based in Pasadena, California. Scientists at Remote Sensing Solutions are leading coastal ocean modeling, data assimilation, and real-time prediction efforts with collaborators at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UCLA Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering.

Location: Pasadena

Internship Dates: June 6 - August 19, 2016; start and end dates flexible with regard to student’s academic commitments.

Stipend: $4,000.00

Time Commitment: The internship is a full time, 11-week commitment. Over the 11 weeks, the intern may take up to five days off for personal reasons, vacation or illness. If participation is less than 100%, the stipend will be pro-rated.

Position Description and Responsibilities: One (1) internship is available working with scientists at Remote Sensing Solutions. The Pasadena office is operating a real-time ocean prediction system for the California coastal ocean. Real-time observations (including sea surface temperature and height from satellites, surface current from land-based high-frequency radars, vertical profiles of temperature and salinity from profiling floats, gliders and moorings) are optimally combined (through a 3-dimensional variational or 3DVAR data assimilation method) with a 3-dimensional numerical model of the coastal ocean (through the Regional Ocean Modeling System, or ROMS) in order to produce the best estimate of the ocean (including 3-dimensional fields of temperature, salinity, and velocity as well as water level). With a more accurate estimate of the ocean today, a 72-hour forecast is produced daily to enable better decision making for users such as US coast guard and resource managers. The intern will be involved in the further development and refinement of this California coastal ocean prediction system. Specific tasks include:

• Processing the observational data including quality control.
• Evaluating the 3-dimensional coastal ocean model.
• Testing the data assimilation schemes used to combine observations and models.
• Visualizing and/or publishing (via web site and/or mobile device) the time-varying 3-dimensional model output.

Preferred Experience and Capabilities: Experience with geophysical fluid dynamics and numerical ocean modeling (e.g., ROMS) is desirable although not required.

Skills Gained: Intern will gain hands-on experience in scientific research in the field of operational oceanography. Specific skills gained include real-time data processing, numerical modeling, data assimilation, and 3D visualization.

Eligibility/Requirements: The internship is intended for upperclassmen (juniors/seniors) and graduate students. Applicants must have completed courses in mathematics, physics, engineering, statistics, and environmental or Earth sciences including oceanography. Interns must be able to keep excellent laboratory notes, get along well with others, maintain professionalism, and be reliable.

Applicants are also subject to additional eligibility and requirements that can be found here.

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