Download The Edinburgh Earth Observatory (EEO)

The Edinburgh Earth Observatory (EEO)/Maths and Physics in
Geosciences (MPG)
Aim
The Edinburgh Earth Observatory (EEO) is a multidisciplinary research unit which
provides a strategic focus and support base for the University’s expertise in the
Geosciences. Our main research focus is on understandings the Earth and its
environment through the effective exploitation of both in situ and remote
observations.
Rationale
There is now a greater need than ever before for information on the current state of
the Earth System and its processes. Further research and long-term monitoring are
required to help formulate and quantify the emerging scientific based understanding
of planet Earth. Such insight allows for the assessment of impacts and accurate
prediction of future change. Many national and international organisations have
identified the need for co-operation and integrated programmes for global
observations. The Edinburgh Earth Observatory (EEO) aims to contribute to this goal
by co-ordinating research and outreach within Edinburgh and with its partners.
All parts of the School of GeoSciences have an involvement in what may broadly be
termed Earth Observation. Strengths in this area are: remote sensing and GIS
modelling (Geography); measuring and modelling land-atmosphere fluxes of trace
gases (Ecology); modelling atmospheric transmissivity and stratospheric ozone
(Meteorology); seismology and hydrocarbon detection (Geology & Geophysics).
Colleagues in these disparate areas have recognised the great potential for synergy,
and the need for an intellectual base for a unit in the School where this potential can
be realised.
The Observatory aims to address a range of interdisciplinary science issues and seeks
to identify new research themes in response to science needs and future funding
opportunities. The issues currently include: the carbon cycle, and how it should be
managed; atmospheric composition and human health; detecting long term trends in
atmospheric composition; land use change and how it impacts upon climate; longterm trends in biological activity of the planet; rapid climate change; vegetation
change; detection and analysis of environmental risks and hazards.
Approach
The goal of the EEO is to promote and facilitate the exploitation of both in situ and
remotely sensed measurements of the Earth System. This will be achieved by:
• using Edinburgh’s lead in e-science to address important GeoScience
questions
• co-ordination of access to data sources and appropriate software
• integration of observational and monitoring programmes with other research
activities (such as environmental modelling)
• promoting strengths and identifying gaps in knowledge with respect to
emerging techniques and technologies.
• ensuring widespread awareness and understanding of the science through
coordination with the Graduate Organisation and an outreach programme.
The EEO will be based around four main activities:
• A high-profile seminar series
• An annual Earth Observatory symposium
• Occasional workshops on specialised topics
• An informative and educational web presence.
Posts needed
Supporting posts
Spatial Statistics in Human Geography
MPG is intended to support all those using high level computational techniques in the
School by bringing together a wide range of Mathematical and Physical skills in the
Geosciences including experimental design, instrumental measurement, development
of theory and modelling, as well as numerical computation.
A skill-based group
This group is defined by its skill-base or modus operandi, rather than the questions we
address. The group then becomes a long-term support for maintaining and developing
skills rather than a transitory assembly to tackle a specific problem. A skill-based
group necessarily results in research focussed across a diversity of targets, much
involving collaboration beyond the group. Members of the group have established an
international reputation for Edinburgh in this way and it will remain our strength.
Cross-disciplinary research
Group members have demonstrated a cross-disciplinary approach to their science that
already ranges across most of the School'
s mission: examples include ice sheet
dynamics and climate modelling, contaminated land surveys, dynamics and
thermodynamics of the atmosphere, space geodesy and ocean circulation, petroleum
exploration and reservoir characterisation, magneto-hydrodynamics of the Earth’s
core, urban particulate pollution, criticality in modelling faults and Earthquakes,
climate change proxies and the statistics of first-flowering-dates! A majority of our
current research grants involve only one or two members of the group in partnership
with scientists outside it. A few partners are within the School or elsewhere within the
UK, but most are in Europe, North America, Japan or Australia. Collaborators include
the petroleum industry, civil engineers, botanists, statisticians, oceanographers … .
There are numerous funding opportunities for computational and other e-science from
research councils, the European Union, government departments and industry.
Function
It is important that such cross-disciplinary contributions build on a well-maintained
foundation: we need to support and enhance our skill-base in order to remain useful
research partners in cross-disciplinary work. The last few years have seen an
extraordinary growth of interest in computational geoscience, especially for large data
sets and in non-linear processes and complex systems. Earth processes are often
dominated by non-linear factors. The group will therefore form a large skill resource
in numerical and computational methods and be beneficial to both research staff and
students. The group will aim to share physical resources such as computer hardware
and software. It will exploit and enhance its existing collaborations with the
Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC) and foster further links with
Informatics, the Grid Support Centre (GSC), Computational Physics and industry.
Posts needed (research funding sources : core skill area)
Exploration sesimology (petroleum industry : wave propagation)
Planetary satellite missions (space program : potential field theory)
e-science (new initiatives : computational physics)
Supporting other posts
Ocean circulation/ Atmosphere/ocean interaction (environment & space agencies :
fluid dynamics)