GIONET (GMES Initial Operations Network for Earth Observation Research Training)

GMES Initial Operations - Network for Earth Observation Research Training (GIONET) is a Marie Curie funded project that aims to establish the first of a kind European Centre of Excellence for Earth Observation Research Training. Copernicus (previously known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) is a joint undertaking of the European Space Agency and the European Commission. It develops fully operational Earth Observation monitoring services for a community of end users from the public and private sector. The first services that are considered fully operational are the land monitoring and emergency monitoring core services. In GIONET, 14 early stage researchers are being trained at PhD level in understanding the complex physical processes that determine how electromagnetic radiation interacts with the atmosphere and the land surface ultimately form the signal received by a satellite. In order to achieve this, the researchers are based in industry and universities across Europe, as well as receiving the best technical training and scientific education. The training programme through supervised research focuses on 14 research topics. Each topic is carried out by an Early Stage Researcher based in one of the partner organisations and is expected to lead to a PhD degree. The 14 topics are grouped in 5 research themes: Forest monitoring Land cover and change Coastal zone and freshwater monitoring Geohazards and emergency response Climate adaptation and emergency response The methods developed and used in GIONET are as diverse as its research topics. GIONET has already held two summer schools; one at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena (Germany), on 'New operational radar satellite applications: Introduction to SAR, Interferometry and Polarimetry for Land Surface Mapping'. The 2nd summer school took place last September at the University of Leicester (UK )on 'Remote sensing of land cover and forest in GMES'. The next Summer School in September 2013 will take place at the Institute of Geodesy and Cartography in Warsaw (Poland), on 'Remote Sensing Applications for environmental modelling and classification' and the final event, in Ispra (Italy) in 2014 will focus on 'Monitoring the Earth for Environmental Policy and Decision Making'. A selected sample of preliminary results from GIONET will be presented: Reed die-back mapping from hyperspectral imagery, and Active and passive sensor water quality mapping of Lake Balaton aim to improve knowledge of the water quality dynamics. SAR mapping of the Congo basin and a concept for a Global Biomass Information System aim to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation under REDD+. The use of TerraSAR-X for rapid land cover change mapping in Darfur supports humanitarian crisis management. The range of research topics and initial results show the large potential of operational remote sensing applications for environmental policies and emergency management. The ESA Sentinel satellite missions provide the first fully operational European space component in history apart from meteorological satellites. A parallel research and development programme such as that provided by GIONET provides methodological advances, demonstrates new applications and validates pre-operational products, as well as informing future mission designs.