Integrating Satellite Remote Sensing with a Demographic Dynamic Global Vegetation Model to Advance Carbon Cycle Science

About the role

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Description

A key challenge in constraining uncertainty in land carbon dynamics is how to represent the vertical and horizontal spatial heterogeneity and community structure of vegetation canopies in dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) that couple with climate models. DGVMs that represent demography of vegetation communities -- the distribution of plants of different sizes -- offer a promising, still emerging computational framework. Satellite lidar data are now also emerging as a means to quantify observed vertical canopy structure. Our group pursues studies to incorporate such data into a demographic DGVM coupled to the NASA GISS Model Earth System Model. We use satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), and other Earth observing missions.

Responsibilities

• Propose research incorporating lidar observations of vegetation at the site, regional and/or global scales.
• Studies could involve, but are not limited to:
• radiative transfer and albedo
• plant allometry to constrain canopy structure, vegetation biomass, and radiative transfer metrics
• development of new satellite lidar data products estimating vegetation demography or landscape structure
• coupled climate-carbon cycle simulation experiments that may incorporate any of the above, including climate change, seasonality, fire dynamics.

Requirements

• Experience with mathematical modeling, computer programming, and analyzing field and remote sensing datasets.
• Background in Earth, Physical, and/or Computing Sciences, Carbon Cycle Science, advanced statistics, programming in a compiled language like C or FORTRAN95, and scripting with python or R.

Qualifications

• Doctoral Degree.

Skills

• Mathematical modeling
• Computer programming
• Remote sensing analysis
• Advanced statistics
• Python or R scripting

Benefits

ORAU offers internships, fellowships, research opportunities, and contract positions that can provide you with invaluable experience. Download the ORAU Pathfinder mobile app and find the right opportunity to propel you along your career path!

Pay

N/A

Schedule

N/A

Application Instructions

Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements: How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program

Contact Information

For questions about this opportunity, please email: npp@orau.org

Location

Goddard Institute for Space Studies
New York City, New York

Field of Science

Earth Science