Project Description:
As glaciers disappear, many are leaving behind glacial lakes, which can span several kilometers in length and reach depths of hundreds of metres. These lakes act as a positive feedback mechanism, accelerating glacier mass loss. In some cases, they can also pose a downstream flood risk in the event of a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOFs). This hazard is particularly pronounced in High Mountain Asia, including countries like Nepal, where the exposure and vulnerability of people and infrastructure to GLOFs is high. Therefore, there is a requirement to closely monitor changes at glacial lakes using satellite data, owing to their remote and high-altitude locations. The researcher will use Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) data to analyse changes in the water surface elevation of glacial lakes in Nepal. This data, generated by the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn), provides water elevation measurements at approximately 20-meter spacing. The researcher will build on our existing R scripts to analyse the spatial and temporal changes in glacial lakes across Nepal. The dataset will reveal novel insights into water storage and fluxes, and will form part of the Glacial Lake Observatory project. The researcher could also explore comparisons with other datasets such as ICESat-2 if desired. Through supervision and research group meetings, the researcher will be supported to write up their methodology and develop high-quality figures to summarise their findings. The candidate should be familiar with a GIS package (e.g. QGIS or ArcGIS) and have an interest in satellite data. Some programming experience (e.g. R or Python) would be beneficial but is not required. Full training in the methods required to complete the project will be provided.
Pre-requisites:
Experience using GIS software (ArcGIS or QGIS). Experience using R or Python is beneficial but not essential.
Supervisory Team:
Scott Watson
Contact:
Scott Watson: c.s.watson@leeds.ac.uk
How to apply:
- Complete the online REP application form one for each project of interest.
- Email a copy of your CV to yes-dtn@leeds.ac.uk (only once is needed).
- Complete the EDI Form (only one is needed). Although this is optional, if places are over-subscribed, preference will be given to under-represented groups, as defined above.