Prof. Christine Gommenginger

Christine has over 25 years experience in ocean remote sensing and physical oceanography. Her research explores how microwave electromagnetic signals interact with the ocean to develop new and improved satellite-based ocean measurements, products, applications, services, sensors and missions. Her pioneering work led to new spaceborne observations of ocean wave period, coastal sea level and wave height, ocean winds and total surface currents in the open ocean and the coastal zone. She has an established international reputation in satellite altimetry, SAR interferometry, GNSS-Reflectometry and L-band radiometry. Scientific interests include atmosphere-ocean exchanges, current/wind/wave interactions, submesoscale dynamics and long-term variability and trends of key ocean ECVs, notably sea state and sea level.

Christine is a promoter and proposer of innovative Earth Observation technology and new satellite missions, working extensively with private stakeholders in the space sector. She frequently works also with end-users in operational agencies, government and the commercial sector to support greater understanding and uptake of marine Earth Observation capabilities. Christine is Principal Investigator of the SEASTAR Earth Explorer mission concept, heading an international science team of 70+ scientists and engineers to deliver new high-accuracy wide-swath images of total ocean surface current and wind vectors at 1km resolution.

She is a member of the SWOT science team, PI of the CNES-approved SWOT VORTICES project, and PI of the SWOT-UK project funded by NERC and the UK Space Agency. Christine serves on many national and international Earth Observation advisory boards for the European Space Agency, the UK Space Agency and Copernicus. She currently chairs the International Science Board of the National Centre for Earth Observation. She co-proposed and co-manages the NERC Centre for Doctoral Training for Satellite Data in Environmental Science (SENSE) in partnership with Universities of Leeds, Edinburgh and British Antarctic Survey.