Lunar crustal structure from high-res gravity, topography, and seismic data. This project aims to improve our knowledge of the Moon, including its surface processes, interior structure, modification by geological processes and creation and evolution. The Moon preserves the longest and cleanest records of surface geology in the Solar System’s history, unlike the Earth. The lunar crust should exhibit strong heterogeneity in density (both porosity and composition) given its complex history of impac ....Lunar crustal structure from high-res gravity, topography, and seismic data. This project aims to improve our knowledge of the Moon, including its surface processes, interior structure, modification by geological processes and creation and evolution. The Moon preserves the longest and cleanest records of surface geology in the Solar System’s history, unlike the Earth. The lunar crust should exhibit strong heterogeneity in density (both porosity and composition) given its complex history of impact bombardment and volcanism. This project aims to determine radial and lateral heterogeneity in density and porosity within the Moon's crust, by analysing Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory gravity and spacecraft tracking data, Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter topography and in situ Apollo seismological data.Read moreRead less
Towards an Active and Passive L- and P-band soil moisture satellite mission. This project tests alternate configurations for remote sensing of soil moisture using a new state-of-the-art Active/Passive (ie radar/radiometer) P-/L-band (ie microwave) satellite concept through a series of airborne field experiments. Timely soil moisture information is critical to improved water management for food production in the face of climate variability. The challenge is to do this accurately over large areas ....Towards an Active and Passive L- and P-band soil moisture satellite mission. This project tests alternate configurations for remote sensing of soil moisture using a new state-of-the-art Active/Passive (ie radar/radiometer) P-/L-band (ie microwave) satellite concept through a series of airborne field experiments. Timely soil moisture information is critical to improved water management for food production in the face of climate variability. The challenge is to do this accurately over large areas with an appropriate spatio-temporal detail, and for a soil depth that closely approximates the layer which impacts crop/pasture growth and influences management decisions. The longer P-band allows deeper penetration into the soil while the active/passive combination uses the respective resolution and accuracy characteristics.Read moreRead less
P-band soil moisture sensing from space. This project aims to develop radiative transfer models to demonstrate that a P-band radiometer capability can remotely sense the top ~15cm layer of soil moisture, through a series of tower and airborne field experiments. Timely soil moisture information on this near-surface layer is critical to improved water management for food production in the face of extreme climate variability. Current satellite technologies are limited to the top ~5cm layer of soil ....P-band soil moisture sensing from space. This project aims to develop radiative transfer models to demonstrate that a P-band radiometer capability can remotely sense the top ~15cm layer of soil moisture, through a series of tower and airborne field experiments. Timely soil moisture information on this near-surface layer is critical to improved water management for food production in the face of extreme climate variability. Current satellite technologies are limited to the top ~5cm layer of soil using an L-band radiometer. This project is expected to give farmers the soil moisture data they need to optimise their available water resources to maximise food productionRead moreRead less
Ultrahigh-resolution remote sensing for assessing biodiversity hotspots. Robust indicators are central to the complex problem of conserving vegetation biodiversity. The project aims to address this by developing advanced techniques for interpreting data from ultrahigh-resolution remote sensing of essential indicators in Australian biodiversity hotspots. The expected benefit is to significantly advance international efforts in the large-scale validation of biodiversity indicators mapped from sate ....Ultrahigh-resolution remote sensing for assessing biodiversity hotspots. Robust indicators are central to the complex problem of conserving vegetation biodiversity. The project aims to address this by developing advanced techniques for interpreting data from ultrahigh-resolution remote sensing of essential indicators in Australian biodiversity hotspots. The expected benefit is to significantly advance international efforts in the large-scale validation of biodiversity indicators mapped from satellites.Read moreRead less
Remote sensing of biotic stress with hyperspectral-fluorescence imaging. This project aims to investigate new indicators of crop biotic stress using innovative airborne remote sensing and imaging spectroscopy for biosecurity applications. Current satellites used to monitor crops and forests do not meet the spectral and spatial details that are required for the early -previsual- detection of biotic and abiotic stress. Accordingly, this project's significance focuses on new insights to detect the ....Remote sensing of biotic stress with hyperspectral-fluorescence imaging. This project aims to investigate new indicators of crop biotic stress using innovative airborne remote sensing and imaging spectroscopy for biosecurity applications. Current satellites used to monitor crops and forests do not meet the spectral and spatial details that are required for the early -previsual- detection of biotic and abiotic stress. Accordingly, this project's significance focuses on new insights to detect the alteration of photosynthetic indicators of plant functioning, building on recent breakthroughs with airborne hyperspectral imaging and remote sensing technologies. The outcomes will provide significant benefits to Australia in the detection of harmful diseases and improved water and nutrient monitoring methods.Read moreRead less
GRACE follow-on: validation of measurements and initial results. This project aims to advance knowledge to quantify ongoing mass loss of Earth’s polar ice caps and glaciers, increases in sea level, and changes in continental water storage. The project expects to improve the capability to monitor changes on Earth using satellites and to enhance analysis by exploiting data from new instrumentation on the GRACE Follow-On space gravity mission, due for launch in 2018. Expected results aim to improve ....GRACE follow-on: validation of measurements and initial results. This project aims to advance knowledge to quantify ongoing mass loss of Earth’s polar ice caps and glaciers, increases in sea level, and changes in continental water storage. The project expects to improve the capability to monitor changes on Earth using satellites and to enhance analysis by exploiting data from new instrumentation on the GRACE Follow-On space gravity mission, due for launch in 2018. Expected results aim to improve computational tools and to develop expertise to analyse the new data. Other expected outcomes include reliable methods to monitor significant sea-level rise and associated societal and economic disruptions.Read moreRead less
Walking the city: Digital infrastructure for pedestrian mobility. Pedestrian access, flow and management are critical for urban life. However, compared to other forms of mobility pedestrian mobility is significantly more complex. Currently, various incompatible pedestrian route graphs in both outdoor and indoor environments render any analysis biased and non-transparent. This project aims to solve this problem by developing a universal and necessarily hierarchical pedestrian route graph to suppo ....Walking the city: Digital infrastructure for pedestrian mobility. Pedestrian access, flow and management are critical for urban life. However, compared to other forms of mobility pedestrian mobility is significantly more complex. Currently, various incompatible pedestrian route graphs in both outdoor and indoor environments render any analysis biased and non-transparent. This project aims to solve this problem by developing a universal and necessarily hierarchical pedestrian route graph to support critical applications such as urban walkability (health), space and asset management (guidance, flow management), and public safety (evacuation). In contrast to conventional algorithms, we will take a novel approach based on human cognition to define this universal graph and then integrate topology and geometry.Read moreRead less
Enhancing marine bathymetry using new generation satellite sensors. Highly accurate marine bathymetry are currently lacking in 72% of the global ocean including around Australia, particularly in shallow seas and near-shore coastal zones, contributing to various navigation and marine safety accidents. Ship surveys of the seafloor are time-consuming and expensive. Satellite altimetry data provide an alternative solution. This project will improve Australia’s marine bathymetry by using spatially co ....Enhancing marine bathymetry using new generation satellite sensors. Highly accurate marine bathymetry are currently lacking in 72% of the global ocean including around Australia, particularly in shallow seas and near-shore coastal zones, contributing to various navigation and marine safety accidents. Ship surveys of the seafloor are time-consuming and expensive. Satellite altimetry data provide an alternative solution. This project will improve Australia’s marine bathymetry by using spatially comprehensive and unprecedented data from new radar and laser satellite sensors. We aim to develop techniques for integration of the new data with other independent data sources, producing the most precise marine bathymetry for coastal terrain mapping, marine transport and safety management.Read moreRead less
Tracking formation-flying of nanosatellites using inter-satellite links. This project aims to realise real-time kinematic precise orbit and attitude determination of nano satellites. Formation flying, based on distributed miniaturised satellites such as Cubesats, is envisioned to revolutionise the way the space-science community conducts autonomous missions. The project will develop a purely kinematic concept exploiting the full capabilities of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) carrier- ....Tracking formation-flying of nanosatellites using inter-satellite links. This project aims to realise real-time kinematic precise orbit and attitude determination of nano satellites. Formation flying, based on distributed miniaturised satellites such as Cubesats, is envisioned to revolutionise the way the space-science community conducts autonomous missions. The project will develop a purely kinematic concept exploiting the full capabilities of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) carrier-phase measurements for instantaneous precise orbit and attitude determination of the Cubesats. The project will also pioneer the use of the satellite based augmentation systems (SBAS), supporting the future Australian SBAS program, and the development of integrated algorithms for space-based, Precise Point Positioning with fixed ambiguities supported by SBAS.Read moreRead less