Prof. Dr. ir. Susan Steele-Dunne

Susan obtained her PhD (2006) and SM (2002) in Hydrology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her PhD research focussed on the development of data assimilation techniques to merge observations from the radar and radiometer aboard NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission to estimate surface and root zone soil moisture. 

Susan leads the M-WAVE research group, using microwave remote sensing to monitor the transport of water through vegetation from the land surface to the atmosphere in order to understand the role of vegetation in the water, energy and carbon cycles.  

The M-WAVE research group perform research from field to global scales, combining in-situ and spaceborne sensors to improve our understanding of the influence of vegetation water dynamics on radar observables. M-WAVE research embraces the latest developments in modeling, data assimilation and machine learning to exploit existing spaceborne radar instruments for a wide range of applications in ecosystem and agricultural monitoring, and prepare for future missions.