Phd job position: Land surface temperature derived from satellite data: characterisation of validation sites and up-scaling of in-situ measurements to satellite spatial resolution

Phd job in Germany: The Meteorological Satellite Applications (MSA) group’s main field of research is the derivation of land surface temperature (LST) from thermal infrared (TIR) satellite data and its validation. MSA’s task within the long term EUMETSAT project “Land Surface Analysis – Satellite Application Facility (LSA-SAF)” is to validate LST derived from meteorological satellites. While inter-comparisons with other LST products can ensure consistency, in-situ measurements are needed for validation. Currently MSA operates the only permanent LST validation stations world-wide. The sites are located in Portugal (oak-tree forest), Senegal (tiger-bush; savannah), and Namibia (gravel plain; desert). The stations measure up-welling and down-welling radiance with high-precision radiometers and the complete set of standard meteorological quantities. Remote access allows data down-load and monitoring of station health.

A major complication for validating satellite derived LST with in-situ measurements is the field of view (FOV) of in-situ radiometers that usually covers between 1 m² and a few 10 m² while the FOV of satellite radiometers covers between 100 m² and 25 km². Therefore, direct comparisons are only possible for naturally homogeneous areas with negligible variation of LST and emissivity, which is approximated by the MSA sites in Namibia, Senegal and Portugal.

The thesis will focus on the quantification of the spatial variation of LST and emissivity for the African sites and the up-scaling of in-situ measurements. Important questions are: what is the best methodology for up-scaling from in-situ FOV to satellite pixel scale? Can site-specific correlations between visible and thermal infrared radiances improve the estimation of emissivity and LST? The candidate will adopt and / or develop up-scaling concepts for the thermal infrared. Depending on personal preferences the focus can be on theory or on site characterisation. There is the exciting opportunity to devise and perform field measurements in Africa in support of the research, e.g. with measurements from a FWD or ultra-light aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicle.

Qualification: Diplom in Meteorology, Physic or Geophysic, GIS, willingness to travel (Africa, vaccination, heat), driver licence B, fluent english, Unix, no fear of hights

Salary: Remuneration shall be based on the Tarifvertrag für den Öffentlichen Dienst (Collective Agreement for the Public Service Sector).
Institute/Department: Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-ASF)
Deadline: 31.03.2009

Contact:
Mr Folke Olesen
Tel. 0049 (0)7247 82 -2109
Mail: folke.olesen@imk.fzk.de

Please send your phd job application referring to the identification number of the job. IMK-ASF05-08 to:
Mrs. Reinhard
HPS
Telephone +49 (0)7247 82-5079.

Application online, go to website below:

http://jobs.fzk.de/cgi-bin/appl/cv.pl?action=show&tmpl=cvpage_job_1&job_nr=2FF9181D-2523-44B1-B1C1-8CF28F0D90B7〈=uk

Further details go to:

http://jobs.fzk.de/cgi-bin/appl/list.pl?tmpl=job_details_uk&job_nr=2FF9181D-2523-44B1-B1C1-8CF28F0D90B7&cat_nr=28FD50F7-057E-4EB7-BF74-E00DD530252E&loc_nr=12B87EE0-C700-11D4-8972-0050BAC69B70