Exploring Satellite Earth Observations to Gain Actionable Insights into Climate Extremes, Plant-Water Stress, and Wildfire Danger

As climate change intensifies precipitation extremes, disrupts ecosystems, and increases wildfire danger, there is a growing need for accurate, large-scale monitoring of hydrological processes. This dissertation focuses on advancing the application of satellite remote sensing for monitoring critical components of the water cycle, across various spatial, temporal, and spectral dimensions. Using combined infrared and passive microwave satellite observations, the first part of my research examines uneven precipitation on the wettest days across climate regions worldwide. The second chapter of my dissertation focuses on conditions ahead of wildfire outbreaks and evaluates critical levels in antecedent soil moisture across multiple satellite sensors, retrieval algorithms, acquisition times, and product versions. Finally, the third section of my dissertation leverages new TIR observations from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) to characterize patterns in evaporative stress at various times of day against the water-use allocations and crop greenness of irrigated fields. Across these three research topics and a wide array of satellite products, this dissertation presents a proof of concept for new applications of satellite remote sensing in support of climate assessment, improved agricultural monitoring, sustainable water allocation and enhanced wildfire management.