Defense Presentation Title: Using Earth Observation Data of Different Spatial Resolutions to Quantify the Influence of Anthropogenic and Climate Drivers on Surface Water Dynamics

Advisor: Dr. Mirela Tulbure, faculty fellow and professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources

Abstract: Surface water—such as rivers, ponds and lakes—is the most accessible and renewable water source. However, surface water availability and accessibility are not static. Many factors, such as climate, land-use/land-cover (LULC) and population size, impact surface water dynamics. However, few studies have assessed the historic impacts of the combination of these drivers on surface water area or projected their future impacts. This dissertation utilizes Earth observation data and data-driven, machine learning models to advance our understanding of 1) the drivers of surface water dynamics, 2) how changes in these drivers will impact surface water dynamics in the future and 3) what limitations exist in our current modeling methods.