Using satellites to map the spatial characteristics of urban air pollution from aerosols at a time of climate change, health choices and pandemics

Funding Source: CENTA DTP
Proposed start date: 27th September 2021
Closing date for applications: 8th January 2021 5pm
Eligibility: Home /EU only

Project Highlights:
• Research into the cutting-edge field of urban aerosol and air quality with potential implications for Covid-19 vulnerability.
• Work with world-leading scientists and space agencies on novel, challenging satellite remote sensing methods for aerosol determination.
• Provide the first high resolution, spatially continuous insights into urban aerosols in UK cities and selected international megacities.

Overview:
Airborne particles play a critical role in environmental science with major implications for climate and air quality. Particulate matter (aerosols) is one of the most important factors for poor air quality and most of the estimated 4 million excess deaths per year stem from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases caused by particulate matter in the air. Correlations of high densities of aerosols (smog) with transmission and morbidity data from Covid-19 have suggested statistical links, at least, between pollution, Covid vulnerability (e.g. respiratory), urban density and disease transmission. However, aerosols are highly complex and variable, especially in cities, due to their diverse sources (vehicle exhaust, industry, fuel-burning etc.) and atmospheric reactions. Existing ground-based networks can provide an excellent temporal but only a very incomplete spatial view of urban aerosol distributions. For many cities, a new form of observation is required to provide aerosol air quality information to all and would transform our ability to assess aerosol distributions and their likely health impacts.

Optical instruments on satellites are an important resource to monitor aerosols from space. The recently launched Sentinel-2 can fundamentally change our approach to urban aerosols by allowing us to derive aerosol information on an unprecedented scale of tens of meters (potentially 10 m). This is the relevant scale to pinpoint different aerosol sources (roads, industrial facilities etc.), to diagnose aerosol variations across urban conurbations and the impact of transport pathways within a city.

In this project, the challenges of the science require new methods to derive the aerosol concentrations so the student will create a novel aerosol dataset with very high spatial resolution and use it to challenge our current understanding of urban aerosols. The exciting science that follows will be of great interest to other scientists, to the public and to policy makers. Results will be published in high quality journals and shared with government and local authorities, particularly through contacts in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. CENTA partners have some great strengths in this type of research so the project will build links across CENTA.

Methodology:
The student will develop and apply innovative, aerosol-specific methods to the Sentinel-2 satellite to deduce aerosol information for at least 2019 and 2020. Methods are cutting-edge because they exploit state-of-the-art mathematical methods ranging from optimisation techniques to artificial intelligence machine learning. Key to analysis of Sentinel-2 data will be careful testing of new fast methods to simulate satellite signals and the investigation of methods to separate aerosol signatures from the surface reflectance.

The new aerosol data will be used to assess air quality over the critical time periods pre-Covid and post-Covid. The project will focus initially on UK cities (e.g. Leicester, Birmingham) with careful evaluation of the new dataset against ground-based networks and remote sensing, upward-looking laser sensors. The student will use the data to investigate observed changes in the aerosol distributions. Finally, they will apply the retrieval method to selected megacities across the world.

Training and skills:
The student will be part of the Leicester Earth Observation Science group which provides an exciting cross-disciplinary environment. The student will obtain a wide range of skills and expertise in satellite remote sensing, carbon cycle and wider environmental science. Specific training will be provided by the supervisory team and CENTA with many further opportunities, e.g. summer schools, workshops and University training (e.g. computing). The student will also benefit from the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) which provides numerous training opportunities from data visualization to presentation skills alongside rewarding opportunities to interact with researchers and PhD students.

Entry requirements:
Applicants are required to hold/or expect to obtain a UK Bachelor Degree 2:1 or better in a relevant subject.
The University of Leicester English language requirements apply where applicable: https://le.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/entry-reqs/eng-lang-reqs

Application advice:
To apply please refer to https://le.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/funded-opportunities/centa-phd-studentships

With your application, please include:
• CV
• CENTA Application form
• Personal statement explaining your interest in the project, your experience and why we should consider you
• Degree Certificates and Transcripts of study already completed and if possible transcript to date of study currently being undertaken
• Evidence of English language proficiency if applicable
• In the reference section please enter the contact details of your two academic referees in the boxes provided or upload letters of reference if already available.

In the funding section please specify that you wish to be considered for Ref CENTA2-PHYS5-REME
In the proposal section please provide the name of the supervisors and project title (a proposal is not required)

Project / Funding Enquiries: John Remedios [Email Address Removed] or [Email Address Removed]
Application enquiries to [Email Address Removed]