Stepping Into Internship Program - Position Description ... · Web viewAn undergraduate degree in...
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Stepping Into Internship Program - Position Description The Australian Network on Disability’s Stepping Into program is a paid internship scheme that matches talented university students with disability with roles in leading Australian businesses. Position Title Bureau of Meteorology - Data Assimilation Support Officer Location Melbourne Position Duration Must be a minimum of 152 hours Position Overview Data Assimilation While numerical weather prediction may be subject to intrinsic limits of predictability, for the currently employed model resolutions there is still much to be achieved from improving the initial condition of a weather forecast. For this purpose, Bureau of Meteorology uses variational data assimilation in which current observations are periodically merged into a past forecast valid at the time of observation. Both sources of information are combined in an optimal way in order to create a balanced initial condition for a subsequent forecast. Balance is achieved by employing a finely tuned error covariance matrix, called background error covariance matrix, which represents errors in the aforementioned past forecast, and which is used to propagate observational information to the unobserved regions. For the discretisation employed by the contemporary Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) systems, manipulating or storing a full rank error covariance matrix is prohibitive. Therefore, a long-standing solution is Level 3, 80 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (02) 8270 9200 www.and.org.au
Transcript of Stepping Into Internship Program - Position Description ... · Web viewAn undergraduate degree in...
Stepping Into Internship Program - Position DescriptionThe Australian Network on Disability’s Stepping Into program is a paid internship scheme that matches talented university students with disability with roles in leading Australian businesses.
Position Title
Bureau of Meteorology - Data Assimilation Support Officer
Location
Melbourne
Position Duration
Must be a minimum of 152 hours
Position Overview
Data Assimilation
While numerical weather prediction may be subject to intrinsic limits of predictability, for the currently employed model resolutions there is still much to be achieved from improving the initial condition of a weather forecast.
For this purpose, Bureau of Meteorology uses variational data assimilation in which current observations are periodically merged into a past forecast valid at the time of observation. Both sources of information are combined in an optimal way in order to create a balanced initial condition for a subsequent forecast.
Balance is achieved by employing a finely tuned error covariance matrix, called background error covariance matrix, which represents errors in the aforementioned past forecast, and which is used to propagate observational information to the unobserved regions.
For the discretisation employed by the contemporary Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) systems, manipulating or storing a full rank error covariance matrix is prohibitive. Therefore, a long-standing solution is to model the background error covariance matrix in a way that makes it more tractable.
In addition, the aim of the modelling procedure is to decorrelate meteorological fields in order to speed up the involved minimisation routines. Because some aspects of the modelling procedure are statistical in nature, they require a training set mimicking forecast errors in order to estimate values of the parameters employed in the error covariance model.
Position Scope
The work proposed in this internship consists in generating background error covariances for the so-called city domains, which, generally, cover regions centred on Australian capital cities. At present, six out of seven envisaged city domains operate at the Bureau, using domain-specific covariances albeit created with the help of limited-size training sets.
Level 3, 80 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (02) 8270 9200 www.and.org.au
However, during the operational simulations, additional elements of the training sets are being produced. Using a larger training set, offers a possibility of generating covariances which will be less affected by statistical noise than the existing ones. They will improve the quality of data assimilation for the city domains as well as ensuing forecasts.
The main task of the intern will consist in generating covariances based on those large, newly created training sets and using available software.
Technically, the intern will need to get a firm grip on a suite, meaning a self-contained, scheduled list of programs, which need to be executed chronologically in order to generate covariances.
Subsequently, the intern will need to configure the input files to the suite, execute the suite, monitor its progress as well as investigate and solve potential problems encountered during the execution.
The intern shall also perform a subjective assessment of the newly created covariances.
The assessment will consist in visual inspection of two-dimensional cross-sections through error covariance matrix as well as single observations tests performed for selected city domains. Assistance will be provided with all those tasks.
Work with three domains is envisaged in this internship but, dependent on the speed of progress, which may have subjective or objective reasons, it may be possible to cover more city domains or, instead, create season-specific covariances for the initially selected domains.
The internship will be hosted by Science and Innovation Group, Research Program, Earth System Modelling Section and Data Assimilation Team at the Bureau of Meteorology. Technically, work will be performed remotely on a supercomputer provided by the National Computing Infrastructure (NCI) located in Canberra, from one of Bureau regional offices. Depending on the sanitary situation at the time of the internship, it may be also possible for the intern to work from home, on a portable equipment loaned by the Bureau.
Position Outcome
This internship offers a possibility of getting a taste of what working in the Bureau of Meteorology in general, and in numerical weather prediction in particular looks like. It is, therefore, meant for a candidate who contemplates a career in this field.
During the internship there will be time for formal and informal interaction with Bureau colleagues as well as participation in Bureau events. It is envisaged that a new set of covariances for at least three city domains generated by the intern will be promoted to operations. This step will be exclusively Bureau’s responsibility following the internship.
On a formal side, a minimum 10-page report describing a broader context, work performed during the internship, assessment of the newly created covariances as well as the analysis of single observations tests will need to be produced by the intern.
Qualifications
An undergraduate degree in mathematics, physics or engineering is required to undertake work in this internship. The intern needs to have completed modules covering foundations of linear algebra and Fourier transform. Notions of numerical methods would be an advantage. Familiarity with one compiled and one interpreted programming language would be an asset.
Ideal Degree/Discipline
Mathematics/Physics/Engineering
Eligibility Requirements
Second last or final year of a relevant undergraduate or postgraduate degree
Permanent residents and Australian citizens only
Identify as having disability
Candidates may be required to undergo a background check security clearance
Apply Here
www.tfaforms.com/420924
Contact the AND Programs Team at [email protected] or 1300 363 645 for further information.
Please be aware that all Stepping Into internships are paid placements. The employing organisation will pay the intern’s pro rata salary for the internship period (including superannuation) at a rate commensurate with the duties performed and abiding by Fair Work standards.
