Doctoral student in Remote sensing of lake bathymetry and water storage

Globally over 100 million lakes hold large volume of Earth's liquid surface freshwater and provide vital ecosystem services. Understanding lake water storage and its changes under environmental and climate stressors is crucial. Bathymetric data, characterizing lake underwater topography, are essential for quantifying water storage and conducting related studies. Conventionally, lake bathymetry data are obtained from underwater topographic surveys using shipborne sonar sensors or airborne lidar sensors. However, such approaches are time-consuming and labour-intensive, limiting the mapping of large areas or numbers of lakes. Consequently, most lakes globally lack bathymetry data, hindering our understanding of regional/global lake water storages and their hydrological-ecological impacts. Urgent action is needed to address this gap.

Satellite remote sensing presents a promising tool for obtaining lake bathymetry at large scales cost-effectively and efficiently. Different methods have been developed such as the methods using multispectral satellite imagery data and empirical models, methods based on digital elevation models (DEM) and interpolation approaches, methods using a combination of satellite altimetry and satellite imagery data.

This project is funded by Swedish National Space Agency for 3 years and co-funded by the hosting department at Lund University for the 4th year. This project will focus on estimating bathymetry and water storage of lakes at the regional scale with an unprecedented spatial coverage and accuracy by integrating multiple methods and using multi-source satellite observations, including satellite altimetry, satellite imagery and DEM.

Work duties

The PhD candidate will be employed for four years at Lund University.

The PhD candidate will carry out research within the Swedish National Space Agency funded research project “Estimating bathymetry and water storage of lakes at the regional scale by integrating multiple methods and multi-source satellite observations”. The candidate will be supervised by senior scientists at the department. Main tasks for the PhD candidate include improving and combining the existing multiple methods for mapping lake bathymetry and further quantifying the lake water storage at large scales. This PhD work will be expected to contribute to the development and application of various Earth Observation missions, including Sentinel, Landsat, existing satellite altimeters, and new Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission. It also contributes to the calibration/validation (Cal/Val) activities using comprehensive in-situ data and advances climate change studies.

The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties can also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).

 Admission requirements

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

Additional requirements:

• M.Sc. degree in Physical Geography, Remote Sensing, Hydrology, Environmental Science, or a similar topic
• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Good skills in remote sensing. Proven experience in processing multi-source satellite data (e.g., Landsat, MODIS, or Sentinel-1/2, EnMAP, satellite radar or laser altimeters) would be essential.
• Good skills in programming in Python or R.
• Good communication skills and ability to work independently and in a group.
• Demonstrated experience in applying machine learning algorithms in lake-related studies would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in writing academic papers in related research fields would be an advantage.

Assesment criteria

The employment of doctoral students is regulated in the Swedish Code of Statues 1998: 80. Only those who are or have been admitted to PhD-studies may be appointed to doctoral studentships. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following: 

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study.
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
3. Written and oral communication skills
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

Type of employment

Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 1-7§.

The advertised position will be located at Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science within the Faculty of Science in 2025, to be transferred to the newly formed Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences within the same faculty from 1 January 2026.

By merging the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, the Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science and the Department of Geology in a joint and co-located organisation, the new department will strengthen the link between different research fields, develop new educational programmes and promote collaboration with society.

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered.

Welcome to apply!