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PhD Research Project in Sub-kilometer global mapping of soil moisture in the root zone resulting fro

Employer
Global Academy Jobs
Location
France
Closing date
Sep 18, 2019

Job Details

CESBIO is a UMR (Joint Research Unit) under the supervision of CNES, CNRS, INRA, IRD and Paul Sabatier University of Toulouse. CESBIO is a laboratory located in Toulouse (main site) and Auch. CESBIO is a specialist in the study of the functioning of continental ecosystems in the context of climatic and anthropogenic changes with a use of spatial observation.
Sub-kilometer global mapping of soil moisture in the root zone resulting from the Sentinel1 / SMOS synergy.

Knowledge of soil moisture in the root zone (0-1.5 m) at sub-kilometer resolution will be necessary to support the improvement of the resolution of agro-hydrological models in the next decade (Wood el al., 2011). It is also essential for the management of water resources in agronomy and the management of natural risks linked to extreme events (floods, droughts, fires). Moreover, predictions of hydrological (Lievens et al., 2015), agronomic (Battude et al., 2016) and meteorological models are sensitive to soil moisture status (Douville et al., 2001). Currently soil moisture with its root zone component is identified as a key climatic variable by GCOS (Global Climate Observing System). While the efforts of the scientific community have focused on surface soil moisture in recent decades, we note that the current research dynamic focuses on the production of moisture in the root zone. Currently no direct technique in remote sensing allows access to moisture in the root zone.

To achieve this, we propose this thesis with the following approach:
  1. State of the art of the existing products of low resolution root zone moistures: a comparison and evaluation will be carried out on the products of moisture in root zone. This assessment will include existing and accessible databases: ISMN (International Soil Moisture Network), Watersheds USDA, and especially the sites of Cesbio and associated partners: Kabini, Bangalore India, Tensift Morocco, Merguellil Tunisia, South West France, Bekaa Lebanon. This first phase will allow the preparation of a validation database for the next steps and prepare a first paper on the state of the art.
  2. Moisture production in high resolution root zone: Assimilation of the data in a simplified SVAT model including a soil component in the root zone. It would be a question of applying the methods developed for the production of moisture in low resolution root zone towards the high resolution. The identified methods are empirically based models (exponential filter), models based on API previous precipitation and surface model assimilation (SURFEX).
  3. Evaluation of the contribution of these new products for the monitoring of agricultural drought, productivity and irrigation. These products will be developed with the collaboration of operational partners monitoring water resources (Karnataka State Disaster Monitoring Center, Tunisian National Office of Agriculture) who intervene on the sites with measurements of CESBIO or its partners (Merguellil (Tunisia), Tensift (Morocco) and Kabini (India) who are very keen to implement drought and water demand indices based on surface moisture.

Proposants: Mehrez Zribi, Ahmad Al Bitar

Contact: mehrez.zribi@cesbio.cnes.fr ou ahmad.albitar@cesbio.cnes.fr

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