An earth observation data cube is a software infrastructure enabling the ingestion, storage, access, and analysis of satellite data in the form of multidimensional time series at regular locations. This PhD work will consist in the development of the concepts and tools leading to implementation of a data cube for the North-East Atlantic and the development of user-targeted applications based on time series analysis. The data cube will be based on the Open Data Cube software suite. Research will be performed on the development of Analysis Ready Data (ARD), focusing on Landsat imagery and Sentinel-2 data, and on procedures and tools for data ingestion and running of analytic processes.
Notice of the call
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Candidates
AIR Centre PhD grants are aimed at applicants enrolled or that comply with the requirements to enroll for PhD related studies and who wish to carry out research towards this degree. Following candidates may apply:
a) Holders of a Master’s degree, or legal equivalent, in Data Science, Information Management, Informatics Engineering, Informatics, Computer Science or closely related areas as considered by the Scientific Committee.
b) Holders of a “Licenciatura” degree (previous to Bologna process) with a relevant academic or scientific curriculum recognized by the Scientific Committee as adequate in Data Science, Information Management, Informatics Engineering, Informatics, Computer Science or closely related areas.
c) Those with an academic, scientific or professional curriculum recognized by the Scientific Committee as adequate to the Programme.
Summary of work plan
An earth observation data cube is a software infrastructure enabling the ingestion, storage, access, and analysis of satellite data in the form of multidimensional time series at regular locations. Earth observation data cubes are emerging as a fundamental tool enabling Open and reproducible science based on earth observation data [e.g. Giuliani et al, 2020]. Although remote sensing observations are increasingly made freely available [e.g. Zhu et al, 2016], the complexity, volume, and heterogeneity of satellite data hinders its efficient use, as it requires significant expert knowledge and computing capabilities. Data cubes enable to lower the cost and effort of using satellite imagery, making it accessible to users from different domains and with diverse technical expertise, a key aspect for translating data into actionable information, and harness the full potential of earth observation data to address societal challenges.
The Macaronesia region, the area in the North-east Atlantic extending to the Azores in the west, and south to the Madeira and the Canary Islands, near the African coast, and down to the Cape Verde archipelago, is a particularly appealing region for the exploitation of EO (Earth Observation) information. Due to its remote oceanic location, the available in-situ information is very limited, satellites being the main source of information on the oceanic and atmospheric processes taking place in the Macaronesia region and Cape Verde islands. The area is a rich biodiversity spot, harboring +10 UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserves and with +100 sites identified as key biodiversity areas, and the use of satellite information is of paramount importance to support policies for biodiversity protection. The integration of EO information with coastal and in-situ observations, and the analysis of time series, is crucial for change detection and to provide reliable information to decision makers in terms of natural and anthropogenic pressures. These islands experience fast ecological and climatic changes as a result of the volcanic and erosional processes typical of oceanic islands and are among the first and worst affected by climate change, particularly sea level change.
This PhD will consist in the development of the concepts and tools leading to implementation of a data cube for the North-East Atlantic and the development of user-targeted applications based on time series analysis. The data cube will be based on the Open Data Cube (ODC) software suite, a python-based collection of open source software supporting the deployment and operation of data cubes [Killough, 2018]. The PhD student will develop procedures and tools for data ingestion and running of analytic processes. Research will be performed on the development and ingestion of Analysis Ready Data (ARD), focusing on Landsat imagery (from USGS) and Sentinel-2 data (from ESA) [Claverie et al, 2018; Frantz, 2009]. The use of ARD imagery will enable the ingestion into the data cube of consistent (geometrically aligned and radiometrically comparable) EO information. In addition to the satellite imagery, further data sources will be considered. Procedures and tools will be developed for encoding other sources of data in the geospatial data cube such as socioeconomic information at local and regional levels, citizen-science observations, and model simulation results. Interaction with local stakeholders and potential users of the data will be pursued in order to gather user needs and translate them into functional and technical requirements for the data cube. Furthermore, tools facilitating the use of time series methods and AI-based approaches upon the data cube information will be developed in order to support future development of specific applications in the target area.
Name(s) of supervisor(s)
Supervisor: Susana Alexandra Barbosa (INESC TEC)
Name(s) of hosting institution(s)
INESCTEC – Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science, University of Porto
Identification of PhD program and its deadlines
PhD in Informatics Engineering
Please check programme’s website for PhD application deadlines https://sigarra.up.pt/feup
The AIR Centre PhD Scholarship Programme aims at training the leaders of the future
Enhancing scientific research and technology development capabilities of AIR Centre Network in order to better respond to national priorities and global challenges in the Atlantic region;
- Strengthening existing collaboration ties and exploring or developing new collaboration ties between the AIR Centre and the Portuguese scientific community in areas of common interest;
- Promoting bilateral/multilateral cooperation between Portuguese scientific institutions and other institutions from diverse Atlantic countries through inclusive knowledge and data sharing to promote job creation, young entrepreneurship and inclusive sustainable development;
- Expanding the reach of the AIR Centre scientific agenda through a wider engagement with the academia to demonstrate the societal relevance and public value of research.
Doctoral research work will be carried out entirely or partially in a Portuguese institution.
Duration
Scholarships are annual, renewable to a maximum of 4 years.
Submission
Applications and all supporting documents must be submitted online using the Application Form available on each scholarship page. Applications submitted by other means will not be accepted.
Application Process
Please note that you will need the items listed below. To ease the submission process, we suggest you gather them before you start your application:
- Copy of your Identification Document (ID card, passport);
- Recognition of the foreign academic degrees and the conversion of the respective final grade to the Portuguese grading scale, if applicable;
- Your Curriculum Vitae and saved as PDF;
- A Motivation Letter;
- Your PhD work plan, if applicable (please check scholarship link for details before working on this);
- 2 Recommendation letters.
- Ciência ID
Except for official documents, application and all related documents must be submitted in English.
Notification of results
Evaluation results will be communicated to the email address provided by the candidates in the application form.
Before applying, IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you carefully read the Public Notice of the Call for detailed information on the application, evaluation and selection process. Public Notice can be found on each scholarship page.
To access the Application Form (found within each scholarship page), you need to Register (create an account). When doing so, please make sure to write your email address correctly since all relevant information regarding your application will be sent to that email. Once you register, a password will be sent to your email and you can then Log In. Access the Scholarship Programme tab and scroll down to see all the available scholarships.
You can only submit one application for each scholarship. You can edit and save the application form at any time. The form will be available on the platform for editing until the application deadline, or until you submit the application. Once you submit your application, you will not be able to un-submit or make any changes.
Please note that the application to this scholarship program does not grant you a place in a PhD programme. Make sure you apply to the PhD programme identified in each scholarship.
Questions related to the application process or Application Form should be addressed to the AIR Centre through the email scholarships@aircentre.org using the following subject line: AIR Centre PhD Scholarship Programme – [your name]. The AIR Centre will reply to all information requests up to 3 working days before the applications submission deadline. Before contacting the AIR Centre carefully read all the documents related to the Call and the information available on the AIR Centre’s website.
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