The use of satellite data to examine regional and global patterns of temperature change (elevationdependentwarming) in mountainous regions

In the ongoing debates about climate change, the existence of elevational-dependent warming (EDW:
i.e. whether warming is enhanced at high elevations) has become a critically important issue for
evaluating and understanding the rapid environmental changes being observed in mountainous
regions across the globe. However existing field observations are of insufficient quantity and quality
to assess the extent of this phenomenon. Current weather stations are biased towards low elevations,
and the distinct microclimates in mountain regions mean that an assessment of climate change
patterns is particularly challenging. Model simulations, although valuable, suffer from lack of spatial
resolution, and require dynamical or statistical downscaling.

Satellite Earth Observation data archives, which extends back ca. 40 years with Landsat and 15 years
with MODIS, provide almost complete global spatial coverage. The aim of this PhD is to investigate the
utility of satellite temperature data (Land surface temperature or LST) in assessing climate change
patterns at high elevations across the world. MODIS provides regional coverage over most mountain
regions twice a day at resolutions of 1 km to 250 m. A major focus will be the comparison between LST
and air temperatures measured at the local scale in the Pyrenees (mid-latitudes), Scandes (Arctic), and
in Africa (Kilimanjaro), where the research team has collected field climate data for many years using
over 100 measurement stations, and is continuing to do so. There is also opportunity for expanding
the research to cover China and the Tibetan plateau, and the North American Rockies through
collaborators in these regions.

The project is supervised by Dr Nick Pepin (Reader in Climate Science), Dr Harold Lovell (Lecturer in
GIS and Remote Sensing) and Dr Richard Teeuw (Principal Lecturer in Applied Geoinformatics).
Additional collaborators include Dr Nathan Forsythe (post-doc, Newcastle), Prof Chris Merchant
(University of Reading), Dr Qinglong You (Professor, Nanjing), and Dr Imtiaz Rangwala (University of
Colorado). This is part of an international effort to understand patterns of mountain warming,
spearheaded by the EDW working group (https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2563), and
sponsored by the Mountain Research Initiative. Thus it is particularly suited to an international
applicant with a global outlook.

In addition to general research training (led by the graduate school), the PhD student will receive
training in both fieldwork for climate monitoring (maintaining and developing surface networks) as
well as advanced computational skills from manipulation and analysis of satellite data, critical for a
career in climate science. They will also have opportunity to be involved in a global initiative supported
by MRI (http://mri.scnatweb.ch/) and through this organisation to develop contacts on several
continents. There will be opportunities for international collaboration with partners across the world
including China and the U.S, and for training in research dissemination (conferences, electronic platforms, interaction with stakeholders).

How to apply:
To apply, please fill in the online form using the link below. As part of this application you must submit a CV and a project proposal (up to 4000 words), which includes a rationale and methodology (please upload as a separate document). Further details on information that you might include in this can be found here: http://www.port.ac.uk/application-fees-and-funding/applying-postgraduate/#rd. We strongly recommend that candidates contact the first supervisor in advance to discuss the project.

Please quote project code GEOG4090218 in your application form.