Can space-based lasers detect seasonality of forests?

GEDI is a new laser system on the International Space Station that measures forest height and structure across the globe in unprecedented detail.  We want to use GEDI to see if we can measure something it was never intended to measure: forest seasonality, or, when forests leaf out in the spring and drop leaves in the fall.  These are important processes that are changing along with a changing climate, and have implications for future food web stability.  If we can use GEDI to measure these processes globally, we will be in a much better position to understand how forests are responding to climate change.

The intern will work with existing drone-based imagery and GEDI satellite data from Wytham Woods - an iconic forest research site - to perform initial analyses to gauge whether GEDI signals can "see" the springtime leaf flush in Wytham. 

Pre-requisites: The student should have some programming experience and a desire to learn how to work with remote earth sensing data. 

Maximum number of students: 2