Department Surface Waters - Research and Management

Remote Sensing

The Remote Sensing research group investigates optical processes in surface waters and explores the use of remote sensing for water quality monitoring on regional and global levels.

Our ambition is to advance remote sensing towards routine use in ambient water quality assessments. An important component in this process is the integration with conventional sampling approaches. To this end, we facilitate dedicated measurements to relate optical with biophysical properties of water constituents. We develop methods for the retrieval of problem-specific water quality parameters from satellite data, and produce data for assimilation with hydrodynamic and water quality models.

Collaboration

Prof Dr. Alexander Damm
Remote Sensing of Water Systems (RSWS), Dept. of Geography, University of Zurich

Contact

Team

Dr. Elisa Calamita Postdoctoral Researcher Tel. +41 58 765 5444 Send Mail
Loé Maire Tel. +41 58 765 6656 Send Mail
James Runnalls Software Developer Tel. +41 58 765 5589 Send Mail
Jonas Wydler Tel. +41 58 765 5648 Send Mail

Current Projects

Can we use the newest environmental satellites to monitor primary production in Swiss lakes?
How can we infer the growth of algae from the natural, sun-induced fluorescence?
Formation, evolution, and monitoring of glacial lakes in Switzerland
How are changes in remotely sensed phenology related to the biodiversity of lakes and their surrounding watersheds?

Tools

Environmental monitoring satellites provide a unique view on the state of surface waters worldwide.