Research Associate in Multihazard Remote Sensing

3 weeks ago

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

Are you interested in developing new ways to monitor hazards using Earth observation data?

We invite applications for a Post-Doctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to join our team at the University of Cambridge. The post holder will join the recently established Cambridge Complex and Multihazard research group (CoMHaz) and be employed across the departments of Earth Sciences and Geography. There will be excellent opportunities for collaboration both within the university and with international partners.

Research Project: Landslides are one of the most damaging natural hazards, causing several thousand deaths each year, destroying critical infrastructure and inhibiting development. The multiplicity of triggers and vast areas susceptible to landsliding makes their forecasting a complex yet critical task. Satellite-based slope monitoring and landslide identification is one of the few plausible approaches to regional or national-scale landslide early warning.

Indeed, improving the detection rate of pre-collapse signals is one of the most effective short-term strategies to improving our understanding of landslide hazard and mitigating the associated risk. Recent advances in remote sensing, both from greater data availability and new processing techniques, have enabled the detection of pre-collapse signals with unprecedented sensitivity across large spatial scales. This project, building on prototype deployments across case-study areas in the Andes and Himalaya, will continue development of an operationalizable landslide detector using freely available optical and radar satellite imagery.

The post-holder will help develop a modular, open-source displacement tracking toolbox for natural systems building on pre-existing implementations. This development will be a collaborative exercise working with PI Max Van Wyk de Vries, and other CoMHaz group members including PhD students. The successful applicant will therefore require some knowledge of programming languages, and ideally specialized image analysis and optical feature tracking experience. The second aspect of this project will be applying the methods developed to map slow-moving landslides in a regional case study in the Himalaya. This will involve a visit to Kathmandu (Nepal) to meet local partners and possible fieldwork.

The successful candidate must have a Ph.D. in natural hazards, remote sensing, geomorphology or a related field. Applicants will have experience in at least one, and ideally several of the following: digital image analyses, landslide or other hazard mapping, data interpretation, and numerical programming. Excellent communication and collaboration skills are essential, alongside a strong publication record (commensurate with their career stage) and an ability to work effectively as part of an international team.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 12 months in the first instance.

Earliest start date: The position offers a flexible starting date in summer 2024.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click on the apply button above.

Further information on the role can be found in the Further Particulars document.

For enquiries and further details on the project, please contact PI Max Van Wyk de Vries at

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), a covering letter and publications list in the upload section. If you upload any additional documents that have not been requested they will not be considered as part of your application.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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