Sea-C's Lab · School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment · University of South Carolina
The Sea-C's Lab studies how the sea shapes coasts, carbonates, climate, and catastrophes. We integrate sedimentology, hydrodynamic modeling, radar and optical remote sensing, and hydrodynamic / forward stratigraphic simulation to understand how coastal and carbonate systems evolve over seconds and millennia. We investigate the climate of the past, the storms of today, and how they will shape the landscapes of tomorrow.
We are seeking up to two motivated undergraduate or graduate students for a paid summer internship in numerical modeling and high-performance computing. The intern(s) will work inside TELEMAC, a large open-source Fortran-based hydrodynamic modeling suite, to implement carbonate-specific sediment transport parameters into its sediment transport module. This involves modifying Fortran source code, running and validating simulations on HPC infrastructure, and using Python for post-processing and analysis. The work addresses a fundamental open question in marine science – how do the hydrodynamic properties of bioclastic carbonate grains control sediment transport across carbonate platforms and shelves – with direct implications for fundamental science, present-day reef resiliency, ancient systems, and the energy industry.
Position details
- Pay: $20/hour
- Up to 2 openings
- Part-time or full-time
- Duration: 6 – 8 weeks
- Start date: June 1 (flexible)
- Option for hybrid or remote
Preferred qualifications
We recognize that few students will have expertise across all areas below, so we are open to filling two complementary roles. The primary need is a student with strong computing skills; a second position is available for a student with a sediment transport background.
Computing / HPC profile:
- Proficiency in Fortran and Python
- Bash scripting and Linux environments
- HPC experience — MPI parallelism and Singularity containers
- Comfort working inside large legacy codebases
Sediment transport profile:
- Background in sediment transport, coastal or marine geology
- Coursework in fluid mechanics or geomorphology
- Familiarity with hydrodynamic or morphodynamic modeling concepts
- Python or scripting experience a plus
What's in it for you?
- Hands-on experience with a real, open-source hydrodynamic modeling system
- Training in HPC workflows –large parallel simulations on HPC infrastructure
- Work on a project with meaningful scientific impact and clear industry applications
- Potential for co-authorship on a peer-reviewed publication depending on contributions
- Option to continue as a part-time research assistant or for academic credit in the following semester
How to apply
Please reach out with a brief introduction, your resume or CV, and a note on any relevant coursework, coding experience, or modeling background. We are housed in the School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment but actively welcome applicants from Computer Science and Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Contact: clopezgamundi@seoe.sc.edu
Lab website: cecelg-usc.github.io/sea-cs-lab