Earth Observation Science Laboratory
Department of Geography
University of Hull
TAMSAT Group
Meteorology Department
University of Reading

With demands on water resources increasing across the globe there is a growing need for accurate monitoring, forecasting and simulation of large river basins, both for improved flood forecasting and optimal water resources management. However, for many of the world's major river basins, including most of those in Africa, ground-based monitoring of rainfall is inadequate, leaving a considerable gap in our understanding of these vital resources. This information gap may be alleviated through the use of satellite-based instruments, but these technologies bring with them their own set of problems. Visible and infra-red imagery from geostationary weather satellites provide detailed information on cloud patterns, but these data are only indirectly related to surface rainfall. Microwave instruments on low orbiting platforms provide a more direct view of precipitation-related processes, but their products are available less frequently than geostationary images and are adversely affected by surface types such as desert sands. The effective use of satellite data for river basin hydrology requires the development of techniques to combine information from different types of sensor to derive both optimal rainfall estimates and comprehensive quantitative assessments of the uncertainty in those estimates. Potential benefits of a successful scheme include more reliable and timely flood warning and more efficient management of irrigation and hydropower.

This Ph.D. project builds on existing work at the Earth Observation Science Laboratory at the University of Hull and the TAMSAT (Tropical Applications of Meteorology using Satellite and other data) group at the University of Reading. Both of these groups have many years of experience of working on African projects and collaborating with meteorological and hydrological institutions within Africa. The project will involve detailed study of the hydrology of the Senegal River Basin, including the development of satellite rainfall techniques and models for rainfall retrieval uncertainty. The successful candidate should have a good upper second or first class degree in a relevant discipline (geography, meteorology, or a physical science or mathematics related subject).

Informal inquiries may be made to: Dr Tim Bellerby, Geography Department, University of Hull, HU6 7RX. Email: t.j.bellerby@hull.ac.uk. Phone: +44 1482 465385 Fax: +44 1482 466340

For further information, please visit www.hull.ac.uk/phd