Noemi Vergopolan

Noemi Vergopolan

Computational Hydrology

Rice University

About Me

I am a computational hydrologist, engineer, and scientist working on solutions for water resources and climate. My research aims to aid actionable decision-making by improving hydrological information for monitoring and forecasting hydrological extremes and their impacts at the local scales. To this end, I develop scalable computational approaches for high-resolution hydrological prediction by leveraging advances in satellite remote sensing, land surface modeling, machine learning, data fusion, and high-performance computing.

Currently, I am assistant professor at the Earth, Environment, and Planetary Sciences Department at Rice University. Previously, I developed satellite land data assimilation for Earth System Models as a visiting research scientist at the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory and postdoctoral researcher at the Atmospheric and Ocean Science Program at Princeton University. Prior, I worked on water resources and environmental engineering consulting. I hold a M.A. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Princeton University.

For my contribution to science, I was awarded the 2022 AGU Science for Solutions Award for “outstanding contributions to water and food security through advances in hyper-resolution land surface modeling and satellite remote sensing” and the 2022 Paul F. Boulos Excellence in Computational Hydrology Award by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.

Learn more about my interests in research and publications, and by following my updates on Twitter. Prospective PhD students and postdocs keen on contributing to the fields of computational hydrology and remote sensing are encouraged to revise the requirements and reach out for position availability.

Interests
  • Hydrology
  • Agriculture
  • Floods and Droughts
  • Satellite Remote Sensing
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • High Performance Computing
  • Big Geospatial Data
Education
  • PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering

    Princeton University, 2021

  • Statistics & Machine Learning Certificate

    Princeton University, 2021

  • Computational Science & Engineering Certificate

    Princeton University, 2019

  • MA in Civil & Environmental Engineering

    Princeton University, 2017

  • BS Environmental Engineering

    Federal University of Paraná (Brazil), 2014

Research & Portfolio

Integrating Earth Observations through AI and Physical Models
SMAP-HydroBlocks is the first 30-m resolution satellite-based surface soil moisture dataset over the continental United States, integrating multi-scale data with ML and physical modeling.
Integrating Earth Observations through AI and Physical Models
Hyper-Resolution Hydrologic and Land Surface Modeling
HydroBlocks is a field-scale resolving land surface model for computationally efficient hydrologic applications over continental extents. Learn about model development & applications here.
Hyper-Resolution Hydrologic and Land Surface Modeling
Field-scale Crop Yield Prediction
Satellite observations, physical models, and machine learning combined can enable crop yield prediction at high spatial resolution at data-scarse regions. Learn more about it here.
Field-scale Crop Yield Prediction
From Hydroclimate Data to Science-Informed Decisions
Integrating computational models and hydroclimate data for actionable agriculture decision-making. Towards resilience and adaptability in a changing climate.
From Hydroclimate Data to Science-Informed Decisions

Recent Publications

More on Publications and Google Scholar

Flash Drought Typologies and Societal Impacts: A Worldwide Review of Occurrence, Nomenclature, and Experiences of Local Populations
Dynamic geospatial modeling of mycotoxin contamination of corn in Illinois: unveiling critical factors and predictive insights with machine learning
High-resolution (1 km) Köppen-Geiger maps for 1901–2099 based on constrained CMIP6 projections
Transformation of Brazil's biomes: The dynamics and fate of agriculture and pasture expansion into native vegetation
How Much Control do Smallholder Maize Farmers Have Over Yield?
Is Closing the Agricultural Yield Gap a “Risky” Endeavor?

News & Social

1,972 Followers
Assistant Professor @ Rice University | PhD | Computational Hydrology | Water Resources | Climate | Satellite Remote Sensing | Machine Learning & HPC Enthusiast
Thanks for the invitation Walid Ouaret
Excited to contribute to this effort!
June 24-27, 2024
openclimatescience.github.io
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June 24-27, 2024
openclimatescience.github.io
Thanks for the invitation Walid Ouaret
Excited to contribute to this effort!
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🌟 Postdoc Fellowship Opportunity 🌟

🌎 The Rice Sustainability Institute is seeking creative, interdisciplinary scholars to tackle transformative sustainability challenges.

Join us at Rice University!

📅 Application Deadline: August 15, 2024
Postdoctoral Associate - Rice Sustainability Institute
emdz.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com
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Postdoctoral Associate - Rice Sustainability Institute
emdz.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com
🌟 Postdoc Fellowship Opportunity 🌟

🌎 The Rice Sustainability Institute is seeking creative, interdisciplinary scholars to tackle transformative sustainability challenges.

Join us at Rice University!

📅 Application Deadline: August 15, 2024
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Next Monday (April 22nd), I will be sharing insights on integrating soil moisture data and models for water and climate applications at the upcoming seminar hosted by the Earth System Sciences Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), a joint center of the University of Maryland, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center...Read More
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Next Monday (April 22nd), I will be sharing insights on integrating soil moisture data and models for water and climate applications at the upcoming seminar hosted by the Earth System Sciences Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), a joint center of the University of Maryland, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
...Read More
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I'm happy to share that I will be starting a new position as an Assistant Professor at Rice University in the Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences department in July 2024!

I'll start my research lab on computational hydrology, remotesensing, and AI for water and climate research. More information here:...Read More
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I'm happy to share that I will be starting a new position as an Assistant Professor at Rice University in the Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences department in July 2024!I'll start my research lab on #computational #hydrology, #remotesensing, and #AI for #water and #climate research. More information
...Read More
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Attention all drought researchers! We invite you to submit your latest research on drought-society-ecosystem interactions to our special issue in four Copernicus journals - Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Geosciences Communication, and Biogeosciences. The
...Read More
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Join us for this webinar on pathways forward to monitoring surface soilmoisture monitoring using models, in-situ, and satellite observations!

Membership and attendance are free to students! Sign up and join us!

See you at noon on Sept. 7th!
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Join us for this webinar on pathways forward to monitoring surface soilmoisture monitoring using models, in-situ, and satellite observations!

Membership and attendance are free to students! Sign up and join us!

See you at noon on Sept. 7th!
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Thank you 14bis Aerospace for leading this effort and supporting Women in STEM. It was a pleasure to share a bit of my story with you all!
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Thank you 14bis Aerospace for leading this effort and supporting Women in STEM. It was a pleasure to share a bit of my story with you all!
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I am excited to announce SMAP-HydroBlocks: The first satellite-based surface SoilMoisture dataset at 30-m resolution for the United States

Data is OpenAccess and peer-review paper is available at Nature Scientific Data https://lnkd.in/dxrkG_KM.

More details and an interactive data visualization (highly recommended) is available at...Read More
SMAP-HydroBlocks, a 30-m satellite-based soil moisture dataset for the conterminous US - Scientific Data
nature.com
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SMAP-HydroBlocks, a 30-m satellite-based soil moisture dataset for the conterminous US - Scientific Data
nature.com
I am excited to announce SMAP-HydroBlocks: The first #satellite-based surface #SoilMoisture dataset at 30-m resolution for the United StatesData is #OpenAccess and peer-review paper is available at Nature Scientific Data https://lnkd.in/dxrkG_KM. More details and an interactive data visualization (highly
...Read More
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We combined machinelearning and physically-based land surface modeling to predict maize yields at 250-m resolution. Our analysis ranked field-scale soilmoisture as the strongest predictor of maize yields, outperforming the commonly used meteorological- and NDVI-based predictors. The results show exciting progress towards field-scale...Read More
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We combined #machinelearning and physically-based land surface modeling to predict #maize yields at 250-m resolution. Our analysis ranked field-scale #soilmoisture as the strongest predictor of maize yields, outperforming the commonly used meteorological- and NDVI-based predictors. The results show exciting
...Read More
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Check out my PhD work on “Combining hyper-resolution land surface modeling with SMAP brightness temperatures to obtain 30-m soil moisture estimates”: https://lnkd.in/e2Bi2Ky
https://lnkd.in/eHh2yJs
SMAP soilmoisture remotesensing
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Check out my PhD work on “Combining hyper-resolution land surface modeling with SMAP brightness temperatures to obtain 30-m soil moisture estimates”: https://lnkd.in/e2Bi2Ky
https://lnkd.in/eHh2yJs
SMAP soilmoisture remotesensing
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