Postdoc: Satellite-based urban CO2 and air pollutant emissions

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The postdoctoral researcher will investigate urban fossil fuel CO₂ and air pollutant emissions using satellite observations, emission inventories, and data assimilation. The research will characterize spatial and temporal emission patterns across major cities worldwide, from city to sub-city scales, and examine their relationships with urban development, emission sources, and mitigation strategies.

The researcher will combine satellite-based CO₂ emission estimates from OCO-2/3 with air pollutant emission estimates informed by observations from TEMPO, GEMS, and TROPOMI, leveraging JPL’s MOMO-Chem and CMS-Flux systems. The work includes analyzing urban emission distributions and trends, comparing satellite-based estimates with multiple emission inventories, and applying the modified environmental Kuznets curve (MEKC) framework to examine emission changes in relation to economic development and mitigation efforts.

The research will advance understanding of urban emission processes, inform improvements to emission inventories, and support assessment of climate and air quality mitigation strategies. The researcher is expected to develop reproducible analysis methods, collaborate with interdisciplinary research teams, and publish findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The appointee will carry out research in collaboration with the JPL advisor, resulting in publications in the open literature. Postdoctoral Scholar positions are awarded for a minimum one-year period and may be renewed up to a maximum of three years.

Requirements

• PhD in Atmospheric Sciences, Physics, Geophysics, Environmental Sciences, or a related technical discipline.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of atmospheric composition and related fields.
• Experience with Python and similar languages.
• Excellent oral communication skills, including public speaking, and excellent written communication skills.
• Experience working in a team environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Peer-reviewed publications related to atmospheric composition modelling and/or its utilization for Earth system science research.

Responsibilities

• Investigate urban fossil fuel CO₂ and air pollutant emissions using satellite observations, emission inventories, and data assimilation.
• Characterize spatial and temporal emission patterns across major cities worldwide, from city to sub-city scales.
• Examine relationships between urban emissions, urban development, emission sources, and mitigation strategies.
• Combine satellite-based CO₂ emission estimates from OCO-2/3 with air pollutant emission estimates informed by TEMPO, GEMS, and TROPOMI observations, using JPL’s MOMO-Chem and CMS-Flux systems.
• Analyze urban emission distributions and trends and compare satellite-based estimates with multiple emission inventories.
• Apply the modified environmental Kuznets curve (MEKC) framework to examine emission changes in relation to economic development and mitigation efforts.
• Develop reproducible analysis methods.
• Collaborate with the JPL advisor and interdisciplinary research teams.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals and the open literature.

Benefits

• Health plans
• Dental plans
• Vision plans
• Wellbeing plans
• Retirement plans
• Paid time off
• Learning
• Rideshare
• Childcare
• Flexible schedule
• Parental leave
• Work-life balance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree