About the Project
Remote sensing of water stored seasonally as snow is presently highly uncertain, which will become an observation gap of increasing priority as water resources and water security are highly relevant to society. This project will develop spatial simulations of microwave scattering at frequencies that satellites use. Fundamental to this is the spatial distribution of snow properties, particularly the size of snow crystals. Data analysis will be used to determine the best method of applying sparse field observations to inform spatially distributed computer simulations of snow. In particular, this project will:
1. Analyse new objective measurements of snow properties (obtained from mountain, tundra, lake ice and sea ice environments) relative to traditional snow measurements to determine best methods for application of measurements across a range of spatial scales.
2. Enable snow information to be distributed and used to simulate observations at microwave frequencies with the Snow Microwave Radiative Transfer (SMRT) model.
3. Compare model outputs with airborne and satellite data, which will allow parameter sensitivity testing to support Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSE’s) in preparation for future snow satellite missions.
This is an exciting opportunity for students interested in remote sensing and environmental modelling. It is essential that applicants have a strong scientific background in disciplines such as geophysics, atmospheric sciences, oceanography or physical geography. Applicants will have strong numerical skills, including computer programming and data manipulation, although full training will be provided throughout the studentship to develop relevant skills. Depending on the interests of the candidate, opportunities to participate in fieldwork may be possible to enhance the process-based understanding of microwave scattering in snow. The is a collaborative project externally co-supervised by Dr Chris Derksen (Environment and Climate Change Canada / University of Waterloo, Canada) and Dr Mel Sandells (CORES Science and Engineering Ltd, UK).
Eligibility and How to Apply:
Please note eligibility requirement:
• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
• Applicants cannot apply for this funding if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.
For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
Please note: Applications that do not include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words (not a copy of the advert), or that do not include the advert reference will not be considered.
Start Date: 1 October 2018
Northumbria University is an equal opportunities provider and in welcoming applications for studentships from all sectors of the community we strongly encourage applications from women and under-represented groups.
References
Sandells, Melody, Essery, Richard, Rutter, Nick, Wake, Leanne, Leppänen, Leena and Lemmetyinen, Juha (2017) Microstructure representation of snow in coupled snowpack and microwave emission models. The Cryosphere, 11 (1). pp. 229-246. ISSN 1994-0416
Rutter, Nick, Marshall, Hans-Peter, Tape, Ken, Essery, Richard and King, Joshua (2016) Impact of spatial averaging on radar reflectivity at internal snowpack layer boundaries. Journal of Glaciology, 62 (236). pp. 1065-1074. ISSN 0022-1430
King, Joshua, Kelly, Richard, Kasurak, Andrew, Dugauy, Claude, Gunn, Grant, Rutter, Nick, Watts, Tomand Derksen, Chris (2015) Spatio-temporal influence of tundra snow properties on Ku-band (17.2 GHz) backscatter. Journal of Glaciology, 61 (226). pp. 267-279. ISSN 0022-1430
Rutter, Nick, Sandells, Melody, Derksen, Chris, Toose, Peter, Royer, Alain, Montpetit, Benoit, Lemmetyinen, Juha and Pulliainen, Jouni (2014) Snow stratigraphic heterogeneity within ground-based passive microwave radiometer footprints: implications for emission modeling. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 119 (3). pp. 550-565. ISSN 2169-9011
Derksen, Chris, Toose, Peter, Lemmetyinen, Juha, Pulliainen, Jouni, Langlois, Alexandre, Rutter, Nickand Fuller, Mark (2012) Evaluation of passive microwave brightness temperature simulations and snow water equivalent retrievals through a winter season. Remote Sensing of Environment, 117. pp. 236-248. ISSN 0034-4257