Professional summary

Research Interests

I am a hydro-meteorological instrumentation expert, specialising in the measurement and science of land-atmosphere fluxes of water and energy.

My research is in the application and development of novel and cutting-edge observation techniques, especially around Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing (CRNS) techniques for the field scale measurement of soil moisture. 

Since 2013, I have been the Technical Leader of the UKCEH COSMOS-UK Soil Moisture Monitoring Network ( https://cosmos.ceh.ac.uk/ ) and have led similar work in India, applying root zone soil moisture products in agricultural advisory systems.

I lead strategic change to implement best practice automated telemetered near real-time field monitoring networks for hydrometeorology and greenhouse gases, bringing efficiency savings, improved quality assurance, timeliness and spatial coverage; increasing the scientific impact of our datasets.

Brief CV

Professional Area of Expertise

Design, implementation and operational management of extensive in-field automated monitoring networks – delivering world class high impact datasets.

Micrometeorologist: developed the application of novel ground-based remote sensing technology (scintillometry and cosmic-ray soil moisture sensing) to determine evaporation and soil moisture over scales of 0.5 to 5 kilometres.

Organisational Skills           

  • 10 years as Group Leader recruiting, managing, mentoring and developing a team of eight people.
  • UKCEH Wallingford Head of Site.
  • 13 years’ experience as a Project Manager.
  • Responsible as Technical Leader for 9 years of the £3.5m COSMOS-UK network: cosmic-ray field-scale soil moisture, snow and weather real-time monitoring at 48 UK field sites. https://cosmos.ceh.ac.uk/
  • Scientific and technical leadership, including project management of the procurement and deployment of capital assets, staff and technical resources. Overseas training & capacity building.
  • Leading research proposals - Initiating new strategic collaborations with external partners and stakeholders.
  • Management of the initiation, installation and operation of new large sensor networks; led the setup of the COSMOS-India soil moisture network. https://cosmos-india.org/

Technical Skills

  • Responsible for network design, operation and implementation strategy, system design, specification, field deployment and all aspects of telemetry and data handling. Expert robust system integration for low-maintenance, long-term operation with cellular and satellite real-time communications, and off-grid power supplies, in harsh environments (Arctic to India).
  • Hydro-meteorological science – scientific and data analysis skills in developing new measurement theory, practice and application e.g. quantifying crop water usage.
  • Expertise in field instrument system engineering (hardware and software).
  • Instrument calibration, field deployment and trouble-shooting of instrument systems.
  • Data quality assurance and data management for large collaborative projects.

Qualifications

PhD Micrometeorology

University of Reading

2009

MSc Scientific Instrumentation

Manchester Metropolitan University

1993

BSc Hons Chemical Physics

University of Bristol

1990

Work experience

Income generation and personal science and technology

2019

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2020

PI for UKRI MOSAIC Digital Environment Feasibility Study: dual-purposing the COSMOS-UK network to provide an unprecedented, dense, sustainable and cost-effective capability to measure hazardous atmospheric radiation increases caused by space weather. Grant Ref: NE/T005637/1

2019

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2020

Co-I for UKRI Constructing a Digital Environment Project:

 Engineering Transformation for the Integration of Sensor Networks: A Feasibility Study – ‘ENTRAIN’, Grant Ref: NE/S016244/.

2015

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2021

CEH LTS-ODA SUNRISE Project Manager for Task 1.1 COSMOS-India: Collaborating with Indian partners on a strategy to develop a national network: Pilot network of eight COSMOS stations installed and operating across India.

2016

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2019

PI for STFC UK-China Newton COSMOS & EO for soil moisture forecasts. Leading deployment and analysis of static and robotic roving COSMOS sensors and trialling COSMOS soil moisture ground truth for EO evaluation.

2015

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2019

PI for NERC-DFID Future Climate For Africa project ‘HyCRISTAL’, leading deployment and data analysis of energy and water fluxes from two new eddy covariance (EC) flux towers funded by this project. Training and building local capacity in East Africa in these techniques.

2014

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2018

Co-I on INCOMPASS, NERC Indian Monsoon research project, leading the operation of an EC flux tower network in collaboration with Indian scientists, to provide data to test meteorological models. Providing training to Indian scientists.

2013

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To date

Technical Leader of £3.5m COSMOS-UK network (cosmic-ray soil moisture sensing at 500 m scale);

Publications