Ice speed & Artificial Intelligence (AI): Using satellite data and advanced computer techniques to detect ice sheet change

全球海平面上升以及随之而来的洪水和海岸重组被认为是英国面临的最大气候变化风险。在过去的一个世纪里，全球海平面平均每年上升1.7+-0.3毫米，在过去的30年里增加到每年3.2+-0.4毫米。气候模型预测，这种加速只会在未来继续下去。虽然海洋的热膨胀目前是海平面预算的最大组成部分，但我们对南极和格陵兰冰盖未来贡献的大小和时间的了解要不确定得多。卫星对地观测彻底改变了我们对遥远和难以接近的极地地区的认识。如果没有这一关键资源，我们对哪些地区正在变化&变化的速度有多快，以及推动相关变化的物理机制是什么，就不会有那么完整的了解。在南极洲，卫星数据对于揭示整个大陆的冰流空间格局至关重要。自1992年以来，南极洲西部的冰流速度明显加快，松岛冰川等个别冰流的速度在22年内几乎翻了一番。尽管有一个明显的长期趋势是提高冰速，但随着时间的推移，速度并不是恒定的，邻近的冰川因不同的强迫机制而加速和放缓。该项目提供了一个在气候和空间科学的交界处开展工作的令人兴奋的机会，为研究气候变化的影响和影响的国际努力作出了重要贡献。在这个博士学位中，你将与世界领先的卫星观测、冰流建模和先进的计算机技术专家密切合作，以更好地了解南极和格陵兰冰盖。通过Hogg博士的监督，您将使用卫星观测来测量冰速，然后测量南极和格陵兰冰盖的物质平衡，量化过去30年来冰盖海平面的贡献。合成孔径雷达(SAR)数据来自包括ERS-1/2、TerraSAR-X和Sentinel-1在内的地球观测卫星，将用于跟踪南极洲和格陵兰岛冰速的变化，使用强度特征跟踪和干涉测量。冰速测量将与地表和海床地形测量相结合，以确定冰通量，然后使用输入-输出法(IOM)将其转换为质量平衡。通过利物浦大学Nias博士的共同监督，您的卫星观测将在冰流优化程序中与BISICLES冰流模型相结合，以填补卫星数据中的空白，提供连续的变化记录。通过王博士的共同监督，您将率先使用先进的计算机技术，如人工智能，以确定观测到的变化的重要性，并将冰流变化与海洋温度测量相关联。在你的博士学位期间，你将领导至少三篇关于这些重要科学主题的期刊论文，你可能会选择从事极地运动。博士学位将设在利兹大学地球与环境学院，因此，您将有宝贵的机会与欧洲和德国空间机构(ESA&DLR)密切合作，并通过与ESA极地+冰架研究项目的关联项目与欧洲的合作者密切合作，该项目已经得到资助。

Global sea level rise and the associated flood and coastal realignment that accompanies it, is recognized as posing the greatest climate change risk to the UK. Over the past century, global sea levels have risen by 1.7+- 0.3 mm per year on average, increasing to 3.2 +- 0.4 mm per year during the last 30-years. Climate models predict that this acceleration is only set to continue in the future. While thermal expansion of the ocean is currently the largest component of the sea level budget, our knowledge of the size and timing of the future contribution from the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets is much less certain. Satellite Earth observation has revolutionized our understanding of the remote and inaccessible Polar Regions. Without this critical resource we would have a far less complete understanding of which regions are changing & how fast, and what the physical mechanisms are responsible for driving the associated change. In Antarctica, satellite data has been vital for revealing the continent-wide spatial pattern of ice flow. Since 1992 ice velocity in West Antarctica has sped up markedly, with individual ice streams such as Pine Island Glacier nearly doubling in speed over the 22-year period. Despite a clear long-term trend for increasing ice velocity, speed up has not been constant through time, with neighbouring glaciers speeding up and slowing down in response to different forcing mechanisms. This project offers an exciting opportunity to work at the interface of climate and space science, making an important contribution to international efforts to study the effects and impact of climate change. In this PhD, you will work closely with world-leading experts in satellite observations, ice flow modelling, and advanced computer techniques, to better understand the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets. Through supervision by Dr Hogg, you will use satellite observations to measure ice speed and then the mass balance of the Antarctic and Greenland Ice sheets, quantifying the ice sheet sea level contribution over the last 30-years. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, from Earth observation satellites including ERS-1/2, TerraSAR-X and Sentinel-1, will be used to track changes in ice speed In Antarctica and Greenland, using intensity feature tracking and interferometry. Ice velocity measurements will be combined with surface and bed topography measurements to determine ice flux, and then this will be converted to mass balance using the Input-output-method (IOM). Through co-supervision by Dr Nias at the University of Liverpool, your satellite observations will be combined with the BISICLES ice flow model in an ice flow optimisation procedure to fill gaps in the satellite data, providing a continuous record of change. Through co-supervision by Dr Wang, you will pioneer the use of advanced computer techniques, such as Artificial Intelligence, to determine the significance of observed change, and to correlate changes in ice flow with ocean temperature measurements. During your PhD you will lead at least three journal papers on these important science topics, and you may have the option to undertake a Polar field campaign. The PhD will be based in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds, and you will therefore have valuable opportunities to work closely with both the European and German Space Agencies (ESA & DLR), and European collaborators through the projects affiliation with the ESA Polar+ Ice Shelves research project that is already funded.