We investigate the impact of climate changes on regional to the global scale water cycle with remote sensing, land surface models, and AI/machine learning technics.
Our goal is to understand how water movement across the land surface relates to broader-scale behavior, and to improve the accuracy of natural disaster and water resource predictions by applying remote sensing and machine learning techniques in the context of the climate crisis.
Hi, I'm Hyunglok Kim. I am hydrologist with expertise in AI/machine learning, satellite remote sensing, and data assimilation. I will be joining the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering at GIST from August 2023.
I am currently seeking undergraduate interns, MS and PhD students, and a postdoc who are interested in utilizing machine learning techniques to address water-related and climate change issues. If you are passionate about hydrology, remote sensing, and machine learning applications in Earth sciences, please feel free to contact me. Before reaching out to me, you can visit this page for what opportunities are currently available. I'm excited to work with the next generation of researchers in this exciting and rapidly evolving field.
We use shallow machine learning and deep learning approaches, along with the application of Bayesian theorem, to predict natural phenomena and improve the accuracy of our data.
We utilize various Earth observing satellite systems to monitor the dynamics of Earth's systems and gain insight into the global water cycle.
We utilize land surface models at various scales to comprehend physical processes and examine how the land surface and atmosphere interact with each other on the ground.
We integrate data from ground, satellites, and land surface models to improve the quality and quantity of the data, leading to a better understanding of Earth's processes.
Our research projects involve the study of the Earth's complex processes, and the interactions between the Earth's various components. The complexity, scale, and nonlinearity of these processes make machine learning (ML) an ideal tool for advancing our understanding and predictive capabilities. Earth science generates massive amounts of data from various sources, including satellite observations, ground-based measurements, and numerical simulations. ML algorithms can efficiently process, analyze, and extract valuable insights from these large, diverse, and complex datasets. In addition, we are devoted to understanding the uncertainty of the data using a Bayesian ML approach.
We use various shallow and deep ML approaches to predict water resources, natural disasters (e.g., floods and droughts), data assimilation, and explainable and Bayesian ML for the uncertainty analysis. Please check our relevant research projects below.
Bayesian machine learning
Streamflow prediction over ungaged regions
Floods and droughts prediction
Explainable machine learning for the climate change analysis
We use Earth observing satellite systems to collect comprehensive data sets, allowing us to monitor global changes in the environment and improve our understanding of climate, land use, natural disasters, and other environmental processes. We are currently focused on the following research projects.
Global-scale water cycle analysis
Spatial and temporal resolution improvments
Algorithm developments for new data
Data uncertainty quantification and prediction
Land surface models (LSMs) are computer models that simulate land surface processes, such as energy and water fluxes, carbon and nutrient cycles, and vegetation dynamics. They help researchers understand and predict how land surface processes respond to environmental changes like climate change and land use change. They operate at different scales: microscale, mesoscale, and global scale.
We use the Land Information System (LIS) to run various land surface models and combine them with other types of observational data to provide a comprehensive view of land surface processes. Please check our relevant research topics below.
Impact of human activities on the water cycle
Data assimilation (integration)
Global-scale water balance analysis
Dr. Kim has been invited to become an associate editor for the prestigious hydrological journal, Vadose Zone Journal. This is an incredible opportunity to contribute to the scientific community by helping to review and publish the latest research in hydrologic research field. As an associate editor, he will have the chance to work with esteemed colleagues, stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in this field, and help guide the direction of scientific research.
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Dr. Zohaib's paper (which Dr. Kim corresponded on) characterizing errors in satellite-based soil moisture data now out in IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
LinkDr. Kim has been recognized as one of the top 20 reviewers for Remote Sensing of Environment (RSE) for the calendar year of 2022. He has been recognized for his contributions to advancing scientific knowledge in the field of remote sensing.
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Mr. Saeedi paper (which Dr. Kim collaborated on) estimating precipitation from microwave satellite systems now out in Remote Sensing of Environment
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Dr. Le's discussion paper (which Dr. Kim corresponded on) predicting streamflow over ungaged regions using various ML algorithms now out in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions
LinkOur research team is committed to staying up-to-date in the field of Earth science by attending at least two international conferences each year, while also contributing to hydrologic research fields through publishing in top-tier journals.
The most recent symposium paper (HydroML 2023 at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
This study highlights the significance of characterizing errors in satellite-basedsoil moisture (SM) data, crucial for numerous Earth Science and EnvironmentalEngineering applications.
The most recent symposium paper (HydroML 2023 at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Human activity impacts the water cycle speed, altering precipitation patterns and water availability, which is crucial to inform sustainable water management practices and mitigate climate change impacts for the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants.
The most recent peer-reviewed publications
This study compared soil moisture estimates using NASA's Aqua satellite with the AMSR2 instrument across different conditions. Results suggest selective use of data from different wavelengths can improve signal-to-noise ratio, with C-band products outperforming X-band products in vegetated areas and vice versa in barren lands.
The most recent conference abstracts
We participated in the 2022 AGU Fall Meetings and delivered successful presentations on diverse research topics, such as machine learning applications in hydrology, natural disaster prediction, and biases in land surface modeling. If you are interested in learning more about these topics or our research, feel free to contact us.
If you have a keen interest in the intersection of climate change and its impact on hydrological research fields, I encourage you to consider pursuing a Master's, PhD, or postdoctoral position. By delving deeper into this critical area of study, you can play an essential role in addressing the world's most pressing environmental challenges and help safeguard our water resources, ecosystems, and communities. Your dedication and expertise can significantly contribute to the development of sustainable solutions and innovative approaches to hydrological research. Embark on this exciting journey and become part of the passionate community of scientists working towards a more resilient and environmentally responsible future.
