1. Faculty of Environment
  2. School of Earth and Environment
  3. People
  4. Profile
Professor Anna E. Hogg

Professor Anna E. Hogg

  • Position: Professor of Earth Observation
  • Areas of expertise: Earth Observation of the Polar regions, ice speed, ice dynamics, ice-ocean interactions, grounding lines, ice shelf thickness change, SAR, InSAR, altimetry, Sentinel-1, CryoSat-2, ERS
  • Email: A.E.Hogg@leeds.ac.uk
  • Phone: +44(0)113 343 5842
  • Location: 10.107 School of Earth and Environment
  • Website: Twitter | Googlescholar | ORCID

Profile

I am a Professor of Earth observation in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds, working in the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science (ICAS). I am co-director of the NERC SENSE Earth Observation Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), and i founded the Space hub Yorkshire (SHY) regional Space cluster. I conduct my research activities alongside my teaching responsibility at the University of Leeds. 

I am an expert in Earth Observation of the Polar regions, where I have conducted applied research that makes use of satellite data to write publications on ice speed change, grounding line location, ice sheet elevation change, and ice shelf stability and mass balance. My long-term research goal has been to observe major changes in the glaciology and stability of the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets using satellite Earth observation data, and to improve our understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for driving this change. Over the past decades I have gained a detailed technical understanding of how to process a range of satellite data types (e.g. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and radar altimetry), from a large number of Earth Observation satellites (e.g. ERS-1/2, ENVISAT, TerraSAR-X, Sentinel-1, CryoSat-2), using multiple processing techniques (e.g. interferometry (InSAR), feature tracking). I have used satellite Earth Observation data to measure change in ice speed at high temporal resolution, which ahs revealed newly observed ice dynamic signals. Ice velocity measurements act as an early warning indicator of dynamic imbalance, and I have used these measurements to partition mass loss caused by atmospheric and oceanographic forcing. I enjoy collaborating with other researchers, such as ice sheet modellers who can make excellent use of my satellite datasets to improve the accuracy of future sea level rise projections.

I am deeply connected to the international Earth Observation community and through my role on advisory comittees for NERC, UKSA and ESA, I enjoy working with academics and space industry experts to identify scientific and industrial strategic goals that shape the future direction of our Earth Observation capability. 

Data Portals

I deliver NERC national capability by developing and running the worlds first Near Real Time (NRT) ice velocity monitoring service. Through this data portal, we distribute frequent maps of ice velocity for six key outlet glaciers of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets in near real time, including Pine Island, Thwaites, Brunt, Petermann, Jackobshavn Isbrae and 79 Fjorden Glaciers. The velocity maps are produced by tracking moving features in synthetic aperture radar data acquired by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 satellite. Through the new NERC EOCIS project, I am scaling up the ice velocity processing system to deliver ice velocity measurements across the whole ice sheet.

Scientific Research Projects

I have broad experience of collaborative research, having managed or led over 27 international research projects funded by ESA and NERC, and I have enjoyed collaborateing with international project partners from 45 institutions in 14 countries, including: USA, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Norway, Finland and the UK. To date I have been PI and Co-I on 26 successful grant applications, worth a total project value of £28,302,031, bringing in a total award value to the University of Leeds of £7,488,075.

Current Projects

Past Projects

Polar Fieldwork

I have participated in five major field campaigns on the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets, ranging in duration from 4 months to 2 weeks. This includes the first NERC Ice Sheet Stability (iSTAR) traverse of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, 3 ESA-NERC CryoVex/KAREN land ice campaigns on the EGIG line of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and an ESA-NERC CryoVex/KAREN land ice campaign in Western Palmer Land on the Antarctic Peninsula. I have designed and conducted experiments using a Ku-band radar (pRES), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and ice coring.

Scientific Committees

  • NERC Science Comittee, 2022 – Present
  • ESA ROSE-L Mission Advisory Group (MAG), 2020 – Present
  • Space Academic Network (SPAN) Earth Observatiuon Working Group, 2020 – Present. (Chair).
  • UK Space Agency (UKSA) Earth Observation Advisory Committee (EOAC), 2017 – Present
  • American Geophysical Union (AGU) Perlman Award Committee, 2018 – 2021
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, Geosciences Evaluation Group, 2018 – 2021
  • SCAR Earth Observation Action Group chair, 2018 – Present
  • BAS NERC Polar Resource Allocation Meeting (NPRAM), 2019 - Present
  • NERC Advisory Network, 2019 – 2022

Awards

  • 2020 – EGU Outstanding Early Career Scientist, Cryosphere Division
  • 2021 – Alan Turing Institute (ATI), Turing Fellowship
  • 2022 – Royal Aeoronautical Society (RAeS) Fellowship
  • 2023 – Water Woman Award for Research Funding
  • 2023 – BAS Honorary Fellow

Media and Science Communication

As a member of the EO science community, I believe it is important to publicly communicate the benefits of satellite data through news and media outlets whenever the opportunity arises. I regularly provide comments for national and international:

  • Newspaper article lead author: The Guardian  
  • Newspaper article comments: The Guardian, The Independent, BBC News Online, The Mail Online, CNN, Business Insider, Fox News, Huffington Post, Time, International Business Times, Space Daily, etc.
  • Radio interviews: BBC Weekend Weather Show, National Public Radio (NPR), BBC Gloucestershire, CBC News, Today FM, News talk ZB, Radio Sputnik, BBC Wales, Somerset Live, Ulster Live, Jersey Live, Shropshire Live, Scotland Live, Foyle Live, Cornwall Live, Wales Live, Berkshire Live, Leicester Live, Wiltshire Live, Lincolnshire Live, Norfolk Live etc.
  • TV interviews: BBC Breakfast Live, BBC World News Live, CBC News.

I am enthusiastic about making videos and animations to communicate how satellite data can be used to better understand the Polar regions. Examples of my animations which have been published on the ESA website, some of which have been viewed over 100,000 times, and are available to view and download from the links below:

Current Research Group

PhD students

  • Luisa Aviles Podgurski, PhD Student, (2023 – Present), British Antarctic Survey (BAS). 
  • Harry Davies, PhD Student, (2023 – Present), University of Edinburgh, School of Geosciences 
  • Mae Evans, PhD Student, (2023 – Present), University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment. Topic: Ice Speed of the Greenland Ice Sheet from synthetic aperture radar data.
  • Katie Lowery, PhD Student, (2022 – Present), British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Topic: CHISM: Channelised Ice Shelf Melting.
  • Sally Wilson, PhD Student, (2021 – Present), University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment. Topic: Ice speed & AI: Using satellite data and advanced computer techniques to detect ice sheet change.
  • Ross Slater, PhD Student, (2021 – Present), University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment. Topic: Ice sheet – ocean interactions: Using saellite data to understand ice dynamic change.
  • Jenny Cocks, PhD Student, (2021 – Present), National Oceanography Centre (NOC). Topic: Understanding the role of sea ice in deep water formation and heat and carbon uptake in the Southern Ocean.
  • Benjamin Wallis, PhD Student, (2020 – Present), University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment, Topic: Change in the ice speed and mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, from Earth Observation satellite data.
  • Bryony Freer, PhD Student, (2020 – Present), British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Topic: Antarctic Grounding Line Migration from ICESat-2 Altimetry

Past Group Members

  • Trystan Surawy-Stepney, PhD Student, (2020 – 2024), University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment, Topic: Remote sensing, machine learning and numerical modelling approaches to understanding the role of fractures in Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics.
  • Heather Selley, PhD Student, (2018 – 2024), University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment, Topic: Measuring ice speed in Antarctica at high resolution using synthetic aperture radar satellite data.
  • Oana Dragomir, PhD Student, (2018 – 2022), University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science department of the National Oceanography Department (NOC). Topic: Dynamics of the Polar Southern Ocean response to climate change.
  • Ines Otosaka, PhD Student, (2016 – 2021), University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment, Topic: Greenland/Antarctic ice sheet mass balance and regional variability in sea level rise. 
  • Andrew Jolly, NERC Summer Placement, Sea Ice Thickness along Arctic shipping routes, 2018
  • Jake Davies, CPOM Summer Placement, Arctic sea ice and Antarctic calving front location, 2017.
  • Sam Spillard, CPOM Summer Placement, Sea Ice Mobile Phone App, 2016.
  • James Bucag, CPOM Summer Placement, Sea Ice, 2016.

Outreach

I enjoy delivering outreach lectures to the public and schools to explain how satellite observations have been used to help us better understand the Polar regions. Through my role on the UKSA EOAC, I act as a scientific advisor for the UKSA funded outreach projects. I worked with paralympian Lauran Steadman and astronaut Tim Peake on the Triathlon Trust project, ‘The View from Space to Earth’, and I co-designed the Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) outreach project, ‘MELT – Monitoring the Environment, Learning for Tomorrow’.

I have initiated an ongoing collaboration with European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) UK at the STEM centre in York, to motivate students to study Earth Observation by developing teaching materials that are directly linked to the national curriculum. At the University of Leeds, we have core EO strength in three thematic areas, glaciology, atmospheric science, and natural hazards (volcanoes and earthquakes), that compliments this task.

Responsibilities

  • Co-director of the NERC SENSE Centre for Doctoral Training
  • Founder of Space Hub Yorkshire

Research interests

  • Earth Observation of the Cryosphere
  • Glaciology
  • Synthetic Aperture Radar and Interferometry
  • Altimetry
  • Ice Speed Change
  • Ice sheet grounding lines
  • Dynamic evolution of Antarctic ice streams
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • PhD, Earth Observation of the Cryosphere, 'Locating Ice Sheet Grounding Lines Using Satellite Radar
  • MSc, Space Studies, 2011, International Space University, Strasbourg.
  • BSc, Physical Geography (Class I), 2010, University of Edinburgh.

Professional memberships

  • American Geophysical Union (AGU)
  • International Glaciological Society (IGS)
  • European Geophysical Union (EGU)

Student education

I deliver undergraduate Earth Observation skills training through my teaching responsibility at the University of Leeds. I am a lecturer on the Ice and the Earth System (SOE3515) Year 3 undergraduate module, run jointly with the School of Earth and Environment and the School of Geography. The optional module which has now been successfully run for two years, was taught to 65 students in 2018, representing a 67% increase in student numbers on 2016.

I deliver masters and post-doctoral Earth Observation skills training through my teaching responsibility on international summer schools. In 2016 I designed the curriculum, then ran and lectured on the first ESA Earth Observation of the Cryosphere Advanced Training Course. The course was hosted at the University of Leeds, and was co-sponsored by the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM), the UK Space Agency and the Satellite Applications Catapult. During the 5-day course, 60 post graduate, PhD students, and post–doctoral research scientists from around the world, learned advanced satellite data processing techniques from an expert team of international lecturers.

I have thoroughly enjoyed giving invited lectures at a number of UK and international universities including the: University of Reading, University of Edinburgh, University of Swansea, and University of Zurich. I have also lectured on summer schools, Polar Prediction School on weather and climate in the polar regions at the Abisko Scientific Research Station, Sweden, and MOOC’s, ESA MOOC: The Frozen Frontier: Monitoring the Greenland Ice Sheet from Space.

Research groups and institutes

  • Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>