Monitoring freeze-thaw dynamics using microwave satellite data

WCC

Potential supervisors

Z. Su, Y. Zeng, R. van der Velde

Spatial Engineering

This topic is adaptable to Spatial Engineering and it covers the following core knowledge areas:
  • Technical Engineering (TE)

Suggested Electives

Data assimilation

Additional Remarks

knowledge in microwave remote sensing, coding ability in Matlab or python

Description

From the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite of NASA, a product is available for global freeze-thaw states. A similar product is also available from the ESA Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite. The task is to validate and improve these products based on in-situ microwave observations on the Tibetan plateau.

Objectives and Methodology

Climate change causes degradation of permafrost in northern regions and unanticipated environmental problems. Microwave satellite data can be used to monitor these changes on global scale.

Further reading

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-020-00657-1