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Jacob Connolly

Jacob Connolly

  • Position: Research Fellow in SAR and AI
  • Areas of expertise: Earth Observation; Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR); Interferometric SAR (InSAR); Change Detection; Remote Sensing
  • Email: J.M.Connolly@leeds.ac.uk
  • Location: 10.126 School of Earth and Environment
  • Website: LinkedIn | Googlescholar

Profile

I am a Research Fellow in SAR and AI in the Satellite Ice Dynamics research group, part of the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science in the School of Earth and Environment.

Research Interests

My current research lies at the intersection of satellite remote sensing and artificial intelligence, with a specific focus on cryospheric applications. I use machine learning algorithms to analyse Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to automatically detect, map, and monitor the evolution of crevasses on glaciers and ice sheets. The aim is to produce robust data products from missions like Sentinel-1 that can help the scientific community better understand the structural response of polar ice to a changing climate.

Background and Expertise

My technical expertise is centred on the analysis of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) time series. My PhD thesis, "Characterising Sources of Bias and Noise in Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Time Series," made key contributions to the field by:

  • Developing improved methods for noise estimation in InSAR time series.
  • Proposing a novel change detection methodology applicable to high-resolution SAR for infrastructure monitoring.
  • Investigating sources of signal bias related to dynamic environmental factors, such as changes in vegetation and soil moisture.

I received my PhD in Earth Observation (2025) and my MPhys in Physics with Astrophysics (Industrial) from the University of Leeds, where my Master's research involved analysing the radio spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei to estimate black hole masses.

Previous Professional Roles

Prior to my current role, I served as the network coordinator for the UK Earth Observation Network for Sustainability (UK-EONS), a Space Hub Yorkshire initiative supported by the Satellite Applications Catapult. In this role, I helped build a national community focused on advancing the use of Earth Observation for sustainability. The network's ongoing objectives are to map UK capabilities, foster collaboration, raise awareness of EO applications, and secure investment in the sector.

Qualifications

  • PhD Earth Observation
  • MPhys Physics with Astrophysics