Sensing Planet Earth: Water and Ice

Dr. Karine Le Bail, a Senior Researcher in the Space Geodesy group at Chalmers University of Technology's Onsala Space Observatory, is a distinguished expert in Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and space geodesy. Joining Chalmers in June 2020, her research focuses on the Very Long Baseline Interferometry Global Observing System (VGOS), with particular emphasis on radio source structure and atmospheric turbulence effects on geodetic measurements. As a member of the International DORIS Service Governing Board and through her numerous publications, Le Bail has significantly contributed to improving the accuracy of Earth observation techniques. Her expertise extends to teaching, where she instructs courses on "Sensing Planet Earth – From Core to Outer Space" and "Sensing Planet Earth – Water and Ice." With a background that includes contributions to the GSFC DORIS contribution to ITRF2014 and involvement in various international VLBI projects, Dr. Le Bail plays a crucial role in advancing our understanding of Earth's dynamics and in shaping the next generation of geodesists and Earth scientists.

Professor Thomas Hobiger, currently at the University of Stuttgart, is a distinguished expert in space geodesy and navigation. With M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Vienna University of Technology, Hobiger's career spans roles at a Japanese research institute and as Associate Professor at Chalmers University of Technology before his current position. His research interests encompass a broad spectrum, including VLBI, GNSS, Earth rotation, sea-level change, software-defined radio, and high-performance computing. Hobiger has significantly contributed to developing next-generation space-geodetic systems and processing tools, particularly for VLBI and GNSS. His expertise earned him the prestigious Geodesy Section Award from the American Geophysical Union in 2018. As an educator, he previously taught courses on sensing planet Earth at Chalmers. Hobiger's multifaceted work in space geodesy and navigation continues to advance our understanding of Earth's dynamics and improve precision in global positioning and timing systems.

Dr. Anders Berg, a former postdoctoral scholar in the Radar Remote Sensing group at Chalmers University of Technology, specialized in sea ice monitoring using spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). His research focused on developing and improving SAR algorithms for sea ice concentration estimation, measuring sea ice drift, and studying X-band interferometric SAR observations of Baltic fast ice. Berg's work contributed significantly to several research projects, including "Spaceborne radar measurements of sea ice parameters for climate models" and "Maritime ice navigation supported by satellite observations." His publications cover a wide range of topics in sea ice monitoring, from SAR-derived sea ice displacement to multi-polarization SAR data evaluation for Baltic Sea ice monitoring. As an educator, Berg contributed to courses on "Sensing Planet Earth – Water and Ice" and the "Foundations of Environmental Science" professional certificate program, sharing his expertise in radar remote sensing techniques for environmental monitoring. His research has important applications in climate studies, maritime navigation, and environmental monitoring in polar and sub-polar regions.

Rüdiger Haas serves as a Full Professor for Space Geodesy at Chalmers University of Technology, where he leads the research group on Space Geodesy and Geodynamics at the Onsala Space Observatory. His extensive research portfolio encompasses space geodesy and global geophysical phenomena, including Earth rotation, global reference frames, atmospheric water vapor changes, and sea level measurements. As a distinguished leader in his field, he holds several prestigious positions, including membership on the directing board of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), chairmanship of the European VLBI Group for Geodesy and Astrometry (EVGA), and chair of the directing board of the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS). He is the scientific leader of the Onsala twin telescope project and has made significant contributions to geodetic VLBI activities at the Onsala Space Observatory. His research has been widely recognized through numerous publications in prestigious journals, focusing on areas such as GNSS applications for sea level measurements, atmospheric refraction studies, and system stability investigations in short-baseline VLBI observations. Through his leadership and research contributions, Haas continues to advance our understanding of space geodesy and its applications in monitoring global geophysical phenomena.

Gisela Carvajal was with the Radar Remote Sensing Group as a post-doctoral researcher. Her main research topic was sea surface from space-borne radars (e.g. Synthetic Aperture Radar, Scatterometers) and infrared radiometer sensors. Her main research focused on development of algorithms for retrieval of surface winds and currents. She has a background in Electrical Engineering and a master on Information Technologies.