Ammonia (NH3), a critical precursor of particulate matter, has far-reaching effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, soil pH, climate, and human health. Increasing demands on agricultural production, including fertilization and livestock production, have led to rising atmospheric concentrations of NH3. However, there are significant uncertainties in current NH3 emission inventories, particularly with respect to their temporal distribution, making accurate assessment and regulation challenging. To address these issues, the present research proposal aims to improve our understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of NH3 emissions by applying inverse modeling techniques. In collaboration with the regional environmental agency Arpae - Emilia Romagna, this project aims to refine our understanding of NH3 emissions in the Po Valley, a heavily industrialized and intensively farmed area of northern Italy, with the potential to later extend the study to a wider region. Using a combination of chemical transport model simulations, ground-based observations and satellite remote sensing data, the candidate will explore inversion methods to generate optimized fluxes of NH3, providing essential data to support sustainable agricultural practices and informed policy making.

- Master's degree or equivalent in meteorology, physics, geophysics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science or related disciplines- Analytical skills and ability to work both independently and as part of a team- Experience of working with Linux systems and preferably experience of working with high performance computing systems (Linux)- Preferably experience in analyzing large datasets (model output data and satellite images)- Preferably a background in atmospheric chemistry/aerosol dynamics with knowledge of inverse modeling - preferably experience in atmospheric modeling and programming (e.g. R, Python, Fortran, etc.)

Research activities will be conducted at the LARMA Lab (www.larma.unimore.it), Department of Engineering "Enzo Ferrari'' of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy), and at the SIMC department of the regional environmental agency Arpae - Emilia Romagna. The LARMA team comprises experts in urban and regional dispersion modeling, remote sensing, and gas and aerosol monitoring. The Arpae team includes specialists in air quality management, chemical transport model simulations and geospatial analysis of air pollutants.