Arctic Remote-Sensing PhD: Satellite Radar for Permafrost Change and Erosion

Arctic Remote-Sensing PhD: Satellite Radar for Permafrost Change and Erosion

Quick Decision

This PhD will develop a multi-mission InSAR workflow that combines Sentinel-1 C-band and NISAR L-band observations to estimate Arctic ground deformation and interpret it alongside active-layer thickness, permafrost degradation and erosion. Its technical focus is on complementary wavelengths and opposing look geometries; a complete three-dimensional displacement field is not guaranteed at every site. The work best fits applicants with quantitative Earth-science, geophysics, remote-sensing, engineering, physics, mathematics or computing experience. NISAR products over high-latitude terrain remain provisional and have known ionospheric and phase-quality issues. The award page lists up to 3.5 funded years but labels the £21,805 stipend inconsistently. Ask Exeter to confirm the 2027/28 rate and registration/funding end dates before applying; the stated deadline is noon on 8 December 2026. Official project description Official EPSRC DLA award

Research Problem and Doctoral Work

What Is Unsolved and Why It Matters

Arctic permafrost thaw changes ground elevation and stability across remote regions that are hard to survey continuously. InSAR can map surface motion over wide areas, but a single sensor has blind spots. The project describes Sentinel-1 C-band observations as vulnerable to loss of coherence over vegetation and rapidly changing surfaces, while NISAR L-band has different scattering sensitivity. The missions also differ in sampling, uncertainty and viewing geometry. Sentinel-1 is right-looking and NISAR left-looking; combining these views may improve north–south sensitivity that is weak in near-polar satellite geometries. This is an advertised motivation, not a guarantee that every site will yield a complete three-dimensional motion field. NASA describes NISAR as a left-looking L-band sensor with a 12-day orbit cycle and an average six-day revisit; ESA describes Sentinel-1 as a C-band interferometric mission for all-weather land-deformation monitoring. Project PDF NASA NISAR overview ESA Sentinel-1 instrument

Work, Methods, and Potential Outputs

The advertised work is to:

• Build and evaluate a multi-mission InSAR framework using Sentinel-1 C-band and NISAR L-band.
• Quantify how wavelength-dependent scattering, acquisition timing, viewing geometry and uncertainty affect integration.
• Develop joint inversion methods to use complementary geometry and heterogeneous multi-frequency measurements for time-evolving ground deformation.
• Interpret satellite deformation in relation to active-layer thickness, permafrost degradation, ground instability and riverbank/coastal erosion, using Montana State in-situ observations for validation.
• Work with large Earth-observation datasets and high-performance computing, including COMET-LiCSAR and JASMIN; receive training in radar remote sensing, InSAR, inverse methods, scientific programming and environmental data analysis.

A plausible research sequence would establish sensor-specific baselines and quality masks, compare seasonal and longer-term time series, test how network construction and measurement uncertainty affect inversions, and validate selected estimates against field observations. This is an analyst’s suggested sequence, not a promised workplan. Exact Arctic sites, acquisition windows, ground observations and success metrics are not published. InSAR displacement is not a direct measurement of active-layer thickness; the two must be related through physical interpretation and field or thermal context.

The project also identifies possible transfer to landslides, subsidence, volcanic deformation and other geohazards. These are potential wider applications, not promised case studies or outputs.

NISAR’s data maturity is a major project variable. Its L-band provisional products were released in July 2026. The data guide says the products are calibrated but validated at a limited set of sites; high-latitude ionospheric mitigation remains challenging, with possible geolocation errors, patterned decorrelation and residual phase after corrections. Because the project targets the Arctic, these are central risks to method design and validation. Ask which product release and processing version the project expects to use at the start. NISAR data availability NISAR known issues

The field is moving quickly. A 2026 study of near-simultaneous NISAR and Sentinel-1 acquisitions over four non-Arctic environments found broadly similar spatial patterns after correction, while identifying remaining atmospheric and phase uncertainties. The authors describe this as an initial observational foundation, not an operational high-accuracy three-dimensional solution. This leaves room for the doctorate’s multi-mission inversion work, while making it important to distinguish its permafrost objectives from general sensor-comparison research. Oveisgharan et al. (2026)

School, Programme and Field Context

The degree-awarding institution is the University of Exeter. The host Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences is at Penryn in Cornwall, and the project identifies the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) as its location. The project sits under Exeter’s “Climate Change and Environment” research-degree grouping, whose page lists Environmental Intelligence and Physical Geography among several possible routes. The exact registration code is not clear from the public project materials and should be confirmed. Montana State University is described as a collaborator with geotechnical expertise, in-situ active-layer observations and a possible research visit; no source reviewed indicates a joint or double degree. Exeter programme page Earth and Environmental Sciences ESI facilities Montana State research

The department reports sixth in the UK for world-leading Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences research based on REF 2021. The DLA page also reports Exeter at 23 of 134 universities in REF 2021, with 99% of institutional research rated of international quality and 47% world-leading. The department figure is a subject-relevant historical research assessment; the other figures are university-wide aggregates, not rankings of this project, group or degree. Department research signal Exeter REF 2021 results

Exeter’s Researcher Development Programme offers staged research and professional development, including online sessions and in-person provision in Cornwall. The project lists discipline-specific training in InSAR, inverse methods and programming. The current PGR handbook gives a full-time PhD a four-year maximum and says that where funding ends earlier, the student and supervisory team should plan submission by the funding end date. This matters because the DLA funds up to 3.5 years full-time. Doctoral College training PGR registration handbook

Supervisor and Lab Assessment

Supervisor Research Directions

COMET identifies Dr Yasser Maghsoudi as an Exeter Senior Lecturer in radar remote sensing for geohazards. His profile covers surface deformation, sinkholes, slow-moving landslides, environmental change and infrastructure risk. Before joining Exeter, he led development of COMET-LiCSAR, a large-scale Sentinel-1 processing service. The project’s radar-method focus fits that record. The DLA award page says supervisory teams will include at least two Exeter academics, while project materials identify the Exeter lead and a Montana State collaboration; ask for the complete Exeter supervisory roster and each person’s role. Maghsoudi profile EPSRC DLA award

Recent Important Publications

• Karami et al. (2025), “Investigating the InSAR Phase Bias in the SBAS Algorithm and Its Effect on Different Landcovers.” The study compares SBAS network structure and land-cover effects, finding that sparse networks can show greater phase bias and that vegetation and soil moisture matter. It supports testing network design and environmental covariates in Arctic terrain. It is not an Arctic permafrost case study. IEEE Access, DOI
• Haji Safari and Maghsoudi (2024), “Evaluating the Impact of Interferogram Networks on the Performance of Phase Linking Methods.” The paper tests EVD and EMI phase linking with short temporal baselines, sparse networks and low-coherence interferograms. It finds performance sensitive to network sparsity and noisy observations, making network design and sensitivity tests part of the scientific problem. It does not test joint C/L-band Arctic inversion. Remote Sensing, DOI
• Watson et al. (2024), “An InSAR-GNSS Velocity Field for Iran.” This work uses seven years of Sentinel-1, COMET-LiCSAR/LiCSBAS and GNSS constraints to estimate east and vertical motions over a large region. It shows experience with scalable time series and inversion, and how non-tectonic signals complicate interpretation. It is not a frozen-ground application or an unconstrained three-component solution. Geophysical Research Letters, DOI

Lab, Resources, and Collaboration Environment

COMET-LiCSAR provides processed Sentinel-1 interferograms and coherence products, but the portal says capacity is limited and prioritizes active departmental/COMET work. The 2024/25 COMET report records large-scale service processing and LiCSBAS updates; it does not establish a complete NISAR joint-processing chain. JASMIN provides collaborative storage and compute for data-intensive environmental science; student accounts, quota, software and support should be confirmed. ESI has environmental research facilities, including field-validation capability and specialized computing, but its public facility list does not prove that Arctic field instruments or particular datasets are allocated to this project. COMET-LiCS portal COMET Annual Report 2024/25 JASMIN ESI resources

Montana State’s Civil Engineering department lists Khosravi’s work in geotechnical earthquake engineering, ground improvement and slope stability, alongside snow and cold research in the department. The project says the collaboration provides in-situ active-layer-thickness observations. Public materials do not specify sites, measurement years, sampling density, permissions or data-use terms; these details matter for validation. Montana State research interests

Funding, Application, and Living Cost

The official Exeter EPSRC DLA award lists an index-linked stipend for up to 3.5 years full-time, Home tuition and £5,000 total Research Training Support Grant over 3.5 years. Its funding bullets call £21,805 the current 2026/27 rate; the same page summary calls £21,805 the current 2027/28 rate. This is an internal date-label conflict. Treat £21,805 as the stated current figure, not a confirmed 2027/28 award, until Exeter confirms the applicable rate in writing. The university says it covers the Home/International fee difference for successful international candidates, but academic and residence criteria apply and residence rules are complex. The broad project eligibility label does not settle individual eligibility. DLA award and rates 2027/28 eligibility guidance

The application deadline is noon Tuesday 8 December 2026. Two references must reach PGR admissions by 8 January 2027; incomplete applications will not progress to shortlisting. General interviews are likely between 15 and 24 February 2027, with a technical interview possible first. The application requires a personal statement, CV, transcript(s), references and English-language evidence where required. Applicants may submit separate applications for up to three projects and should state their preferred choice. Application instructions

Exeter estimates basic living costs in Exeter or Cornwall at £1,300–£2,000 per month. The £21,805 figure is about £1,817 per month when divided by twelve, within that broad range and with limited margin near the upper end. Penryn 2026/27 self-catered halls are listed at £149.66–£199.50 a week and catered rooms at £208.18–£258.02. Exeter says prices will change for 2027/28. The £5,000 RTSG is research support, not a personal living-cost allowance. University budget guidance Penryn accommodation prices

The gap between up to 3.5 funded years and the handbook’s four-year maximum registration period should be resolved before accepting. Ask how the project is expected to reach submission by the funding end date and what happens to stipend, tuition and continuation fees if work extends beyond 3.5 years. Registration period

Applicant Fit and Preparation

The project document names engineering, geophysics, Earth sciences, remote sensing, physics, mathematics, computer science or a related quantitative discipline. Strong interest in satellite Earth observation and quantitative analysis is essential. Python/programming, remote sensing, GIS, signal processing and numerical methods are advantageous, not mandatory, and training is offered. General DLA criteria expect a First or Upper Second UK-equivalent degree in an appropriate science/technology area; a Lower Second may be considered with a Master’s or significant relevant non-academic experience. English-language requirements apply where relevant. Project requirements DLA eligibility

A strong application can demonstrate one concrete quantitative project: the data, the applicant’s own contribution, how uncertainty or validation was handled, and what the result could not establish. For this project, a small SAR/EO or time-series portfolio could help, but the advertisement does not require an existing InSAR publication. Suggested preparation includes reproducible Python, linear inverse problems, time-series analysis and basic Sentinel-1 processing concepts. These are preparation ideas, not formal requirements. A mainly qualitative background without interest in data analysis would be a less direct fit, not a stated exclusion. The government geographic-analyst role profile illustrates adjacent use of EO imagery and spatial analysis. Government Analysis Function role profile

Next Actions and Questions to Verify

Before Applying

• Confirm the 2027/28 stipend: the award bullet gives £21,805 for 2026/27 while its summary calls it the 2027/28 rate.
• Confirm DLA residence eligibility, international fee-gap treatment and English evidence for the applicant’s circumstances.
• Ask which Exeter registration route applies and who the complete Exeter supervisory team will be.
• Confirm the project is still recruiting; submit by noon 8 December 2026 and arrange references by 8 January 2027.

At Interview

• Which Arctic sites and NISAR/Sentinel acquisitions are planned, and what data-quality/geometry criteria will support a useful 3-D inversion?
• How will the project handle high-latitude ionospheric residuals, geolocation errors and seasonal decorrelation in current NISAR products?
• Where are the in-situ active-layer observations, what periods do they cover, and what are their sampling density and permissions?
• Who owns NISAR processing, inversion design and field interpretation? What technical interview format should applicants expect?
• What JASMIN compute/storage, LiCSAR support and software licensing will be available?

Before Accepting an Offer

• Obtain funded and registration end dates, tuition coverage, stipend schedule and rules for extensions or submission-pending status in writing.
• Clarify whether the Montana State visit is planned or optional, who pays travel/lodging, and the expected duration.
• Confirm the fieldwork/data budget and whether £5,000 total RTSG must cover training, travel and other research costs.
• Request current Penryn budget and 2027/28 accommodation rates before committing to a personal funding plan.

Career context is encouraging but broad. The UK Geospatial Commission estimated 2,600-plus companies with geospatial data at the core of their offering, at least £6 billion annual turnover and 37,500 people employed using incomplete company reporting. Government strategy and role profiles identify remote sensing, Earth observation, spatial analysis and data skills across public and private activity. These measures do not forecast demand for Arctic InSAR specialists or establish graduate placement. Plausible adjacent pathways include EO analysis, geospatial data science, environmental monitoring, hazard/infrastructure assessment and research software/data roles. UK Geospatial Sector Market Report 2024 UK Geospatial Strategy 2030

Evidence and Sources

Official project, programme and funding

• Official project PDF
• EPSRC DLA award, application and funding
• DLA 2027/28 eligibility and residence guidance
• Climate Change and Environment research degrees
• Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
• PGR registration handbook
• Doctoral College researcher development
• Environment and Sustainability Institute facilities
• Exeter REF 2021 results
• Exeter/Cornwall living-cost guidance
• Penryn accommodation room finder

Supervisor, collaboration and infrastructure

• Yasser Maghsoudi profile
• Montana State Civil Engineering research
• COMET-LiCS Sentinel-1 portal
• COMET Annual Report 2024/2025
• JASMIN environmental science data facility

Mission and research literature

• NASA NISAR mission overview
• NISAR data availability
• NISAR provisional product known issues
• ESA Sentinel-1 instrument
• Karami et al. (2025), SBAS phase bias
• Haji Safari and Maghsoudi (2024), phase-linking networks
• Watson et al. (2024), InSAR-GNSS velocity field for Iran
• Oveisgharan et al. (2026), NISAR/Sentinel observations
• Liu et al. (2024), active-layer deepening

Career context

• UK Geospatial Sector Market Report 2024
• UK Geospatial Strategy 2030
• Government Analysis Function geographic analyst profile