Research Assistantship, University of Minnesota
Two Research Assistantship (RA) positions are available in the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL), Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering (CEGE) at the University of Minnesota for spring and fall 2017. The research will focus on land-atmosphere interactions and remote sensing with particular emphasis on the following topics.
Development of algorithms and methodologies to improve estimation of precipitation and soil moisture from space over radiometrically complex land surfaces. The goal is to increase our understanding of land-atmosphere interactions and improve our hydrologic and agronomic forecast skills. The research is funded by the NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) programs and provides a unique opportunity for scientific contributions in both projects. Applicants need to demonstrate the required background and interest to develop skills in mathematics and physics of remote sensing retrievals, super-resolution, hydro-agronomic physical modeling, and data assimilation.
Exploration of advanced methods to increase our capabilities for modeling, estimation, and control of evapotranspiration through theoretical and experimental studies. The goal is to better understand mechanisms that control moisture fluxes in turbulent atmospheric boundary layer. Previous experience and/or interest for knowledge development in fluid dynamics, turbulence, theories of estimation and control, and field and wind tunnel experimentations is a plus.
Applicants should have a B.Sc. or M.Sc. degree in engineering, hydrology, earth sciences, computational sciences, and/or in any closely related field. Please send a curriculum vitae including the GRE scores, and the names and contact information of at least two potential references to Ardeshir Ebtehaj (e-mail: ebtehaj@umn.edu).