Dr Tim Malthus, Research Program Leader with CSIRO Land and Water.
Dr Tim Malthus: exploiting earth observation to better manage land and water resources
Dr Tim Malthus combines skills in calibration, validation and field spectroscopy with analysis of airborne and satellite Earth observation data.
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7 September 2009 | Updated 4 April 2013
Overview
Current activities
Dr Tim Malthus leads the Environmental Earth Observation program in CSIRO Land and Water.
He combines skills in calibration, validation and field spectroscopy with analysis of airborne and satellite Earth observation data, to develop improved monitoring tools for the management of land and water resources informing wider environmental policies.
With a strong and developing international reputation, the Environmental Earth Observation program investigates:
- interactions between climate and vegetation and its role in coupling the water and carbon balances through use of remote sensing data
- automated detection of surface features and water bodies, classification of vegetation and land cover, and surface flooding for water accounting and assessing landscape water balance
- improved sensing of optical water quality parameters and coupling of satellite observations with biogeochemical and hydrodynamic models of receiving waters
- advanced statistical and physical approaches to interpreting remotely sensed data from satellite, airborne or near-source sensors.
Specific research topics of special interest to Dr Malthus have included:
- the development and provision of field spectroscopy
- calibration and validation of electro-optical (EO) systems
- mapping of shallow water marine biotopes using Earth Observation
- mapping change in upland vegetation.
Background
Dr Malthus' research career has focused on earth observation of both the aquatic and terrestrial environments and his research has attracted in excess of A$7 million in funding and support.
Prior to joining CSIRO, Dr Malthus was Director of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Field Spectroscopy Facility, based at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK and oversaw the expansion and diversification of the Facility to maintain its world leading status in field spectroscopy research and related instrumentation. In 2009 he was head of the Edinburgh Earth Observatory research group in the School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh.
Dr Malthus professional experiences include:
Dr Tim Malthus leads the Environmental Earth Observation program in CSIRO Land and Water.
- Program Group Leader, CSIRO Land and Water, 2009–present
- Senior Lecturer in Remote Sensing, University of Edinburgh, 1994–2009
- Director of the NERC Field Spectroscopy Facility, UK, 2004–09
- Lecturer in Environmental Science, University of Wolverhampton, 1991–94
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Nottingham, UK, 1988–1991
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for Limnology, the Netherlands, 1986–88.
Academic qualifications
Dr Malthus has been awarded a:
- Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Otago, New Zealand, in 1978
- Diploma of Science, from the University of Otago in 1979
- Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Otago in 1986.
Achievements
Dr Malthus is the author of over 120 papers, including 40 papers in key international scientific journals and book chapters in addition to numerous papers in conference proceedings and seven consultancy reports.
He was co-editor of the International Journal of Remote Sensing special issue on Coastal and Marine Remote Sensing in 2003.
Professional activities
Dr Malthus is a member of the:
- Remote Sensing and Photogrammetric Society, UK, since 1988
- Scottish Association of Marine Science, UK, since 1995.
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