JPL Postdoc: Spaceborne Retrieval of River Speed

Job Details

New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That’s our focus at JPL. We ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers—literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission—your opportunity—is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you’re driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you’re ready for JPL.

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography ( SWOT ) mission, launched in late 2022, has revolutionized the study of rivers and lakes from space. Its breakthroughs range from enabling the first global inventory of changes in surface water stores and fluxes to advancing our understanding of hydraulics in the world’s largest rivers. However, one key frontier remains underexplored: estimating cross-sectional average velocity along river networks and its relationship with flow wave propagation. Cross-sectional average velocity and wave speed are crucial for calculating river discharge, forecasting floods, understanding sediment dynamics, and modeling river channel migration, among others. Despite these vital applications, remote sensing-based techniques to retrieve the river velocity and wave speed have remained elusive, until now.

How can we use the vantage point of orbiting satellites to measure river velocity without the need for in situ information? How reliable is this retrieval of velocity? What other novel observations can be extracted from the SWOT data to enable new understanding of water propagation through the river network? Your mission - your opportunity - is to bring us closer to answering these questions! If you are driven to discover, invent, and encourage future generations, you are ready for JPL!

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), invites applications for one postdoctoral position in river remote sensing, with emphasis on stream velocity from SWOT wide-swath altimetry data. The selected candidate will be co-advised by JPL Scientists Dr. Renato Frasson and Dr. Cédric David . Dr. David is a Principal Investigator member of the NASA SWOT Science Team and of an Earth Science to Action pilot project; and Dr. Frasson is a Principal Investigator in the NASA’s Earth Action: Water Resources Program and a longstanding member of the SWOT Discharge Algorithm Working Group.

Desired qualifications:

• •Ph.D. in geography, hydrology, civil engineering, environmental engineering, or a related field, earned recently or near completion.
• •Proven proficiency using the SWOT datasets including the pixel cloud, raster, vector products at large scales, with strong preference given to candidates who have experience addressing novel problems beyond the scope of standard SWOT products.
• •Demonstrated ability to develop innovative technical solutions that advance the state of the art in fluvial geomorphology or river hydraulics using satellite data, with a focus on solutions that scale across vast geographical regions.
• •Direct experience reconciling satellite remote sensing observations with hydraulic models (e.g. the Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System: HEC-RAS), or large-scale river routing models (e.g. NASA’s Routing Application for Programmed Integration of Discharge: RAPID).
• •Proficiency in Python or other programming languages for scientific computing and spatial data analysis.
• •Willingness to conduct stakeholder engagement, including soliciting and incorporating feedback in a flexible, dynamic project environment. Experience interacting with government agencies is a plus.
• •Strong publication record demonstrating ability to conduct research independently and collaboratively.

JPL has a catalog of benefits and perks that span from the traditional to the unique. This includes a variety of health, dental, vision, wellbeing, and retirement plans, paid time off, learning, rideshare, childcare, flexible schedule, parental leave and many more. Our focus is on work-life balance, and living healthy, fulfilling lives as we Dare Mighty Things Together. For benefits eligible positions, benefits are effective the first day of the month coincident with or immediately following the employee’s start date.

For further benefits information click Benefits and Perks

The hiring range displayed below is specifically for those who will work in or reside in the location listed. In extending an offer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory considers factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s job related skills, experience, knowledge, and relevant education/training.

The typical full time equivalent annual hiring range for this job in Pasadena, California.

$83,820 - $83,820

JPL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy or perceived pregnancy, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status or any other characteristic or condition protected by Federal, state or local law.

In addition, JPL is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

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The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federal facility. Due to rules imposed by NASA, JPL will not accept applications from citizens of designated countries or those born in a designated country unless they are U.S. Citizens, Legal Permanent Residents of the U.S or have other protected status under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). The Designated Countries List is available here .