Salvatore G.P. Virdis

PROFILE

Dr. Salvatore G.P. Virdis is an Assistant Professor at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. His formal background is in applied geological sciences and remote sensing. Dr. Virdis’ research interests are broadly in Geo-Information and Earth Observation Science, with particular interest in the use of remote sensing approaches for environmental problems. His research integrates field-based, remote/proximal sensing techniques and advanced geospatial modelling on a variety of spatial and temporal scales.

EDUCATION BACKGROUND

• 2006 – Ph.D. in “Science and Technologies Applied to the Environment”, University of Siena (Italy), concerning land subsidence monitoring in relationship with industrial exploitation of groundwater in coastal plain, by means of SAR interferometry, GPS and high precision levelling measurements.
• 2004, Master DESS (Diplôme d’Etude Supérieure Spécialisées) de Télédétection: “Méthode, Applications et Environnent”, Université Pierre et Marie Curie UPMC, Paris VI, France.
• 2002, M.Sc. in (Laurea in) Geological Science (Specialization in Applied Geology), degree obtained “cum laude” at the University of Siena, Italy.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Monitoring and assessment of individual and combined effects of land use / land cover and climate changes on natural and built environments.
• Development of data-driven methods to address urgent issues across a wide range of domains such as environmental monitoring and assessment, agriculture, health, geospatial data mining and clustering, automated image feature extraction.
• Detection and estimation of earth surface displacement by applying, validating and interpreting Persistent Scatterers Radar Interferometry (PS-InSAR) products in geo-hazard prone areas.

TEACHING

• AT76.03 Remote Sensing
• AT76.13 Remote Sensing Data Analysis
• AT76.9037 Principles and Application of InSAR
• AT76.9042 Remote Sensing of Water
• AT76.9037 Research Methodology in Geoinformatics

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

1. Khadka, D., Babel, M.S., Collins, M., Shrestha, S., Virdis, S.G.P., and Chen, A.S. (2021). Near-future projections of mean climate and extreme climate events using CMIP5 and CMIP6 models in Northeast Thailand. International Journal of Climatology, Publisher: Royal Meteorological Society. 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.7377. [IF 4.069]
2. Pradhan, P., Shrestha, S., Sundaram, S.M., Virdis, S.G.P., 2021. Evaluation of the CMIP5 general circulation models for simulating the precipitation and temperature of the Koshi River Basin in Nepal. Journal of Water and Climate Change. https://doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2021.124 [IF 1.900].
3. Jha, N., Tripathi, N.K., Barbier, N., Virdis, S.G.P., Chanthorn, W., Viennois, G., Brockelman, W.Y., Nathalang, A., Tongsima, S., Sasaki, N., Pélissier, R., Réjou-Méchain, M., The real potential of current passive satellite data to map aboveground biomass in tropical forests. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.203. [IF 5.481].
4. Chirachawala, C., Shrestha, S., Babel, M.S., Virdis, S.G.P., Wichakul, S., 2019. Evaluation of global land use/land cover products for hydrologic simulation in the Upper Yom River Basin, Thailand. Science of the Total Environment, 135148. Publisher: Elsevier. IF: 7.963, SCOPUS citations: 8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135148
5. Virdis, S.G.P. *, Soodcharoen, N., Lugliè, A., Padedda, B.M., 2020. Satellite-derived Lake Water Surface Temperatures (LSWT) in Western Mediterranean: integrating multi-source and multi-resolution imagery, long-term field dataset using a time series approach. Sci. Total Environ. 707, 135567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135567. [IF 7.963].
6. Jha, N., Tripathi, N.K., Chanthorn, W., Brockelman, W., Nathalang, A., Pélissier, R., Pimmasarn, S., Ploton, P., Sasaki, N., Virdis, S.G.P., Réjou-Méchain, M., 2020. Forest aboveground biomass stock and resilience in a tropical landscape of Thailand. Biogeosciences , 17(1), 121-134. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2019-280. [IF 4.295].
7. Hampton, S.E., McGowan, S., Ozersky, T., Virdis, S.G.P., Vu, T.T., Spanbauer, T.L., Kraemer, B.M., Swann, G., Mackay, A.W., Powers, S.M., Meyer, M.F., Labou, S.G., O’Reilly, C.M., DiCarlo, M., Galloway, A.W.E., Fritz, S.C., 2018. Recent ecological change in ancient lakes. Limnol. Oceanogr., 63(5), 2277-2304. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10938; [IF 4.745].
8. Gallardo, B., Bogan, A.E., Harun, S., Jainih, L., Lopes-Lima, M., Pizarro, M., Rahim, K.A., Sousa, R., Virdis, S.G.P., Zieritz, A., 2018. Current and future effects of global change on a hotspot’s freshwater diversity. Sci. Total Environ., 635, 750-760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.056; [IF 7.963].
9. Ferrara, R., Virdis, S.G.P., Ventura, A., Ghisu, T., Duce, P., Pellizzaro, G. *, 2018. An automated approach for wood-leaf separation from terrestrial LIDAR point clouds using the density based clustering algorithm DBSCAN. Agric. For. Meteorol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2018.04.008; [IF 5.734].
10. Nguyen, T.P.L., Mula, L., Cortignani, R., Seddaiu, G., Dono, G., Virdis, S.G.P., Pasqui, M., Roggero, P.P., 2016. Perceptions of Present and Future Climate Change Impacts on Water Availability for Agricultural Systems in the Western Mediterranean Region. Water, 8(11), 523. https://doi.org/10.3390/w8110523; [IF 3.103].
11. Nguyen, T. P. L., Seddaiu, G., Virdis, S. G. P., Tidore, C., Pasqui, M., & Roggero, P. P. (2016). Perceiving to learn or learning to perceive? Understanding farmers’ perceptions and adaptation to climate uncertainties. Agricultural Systems, 143, 205-216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2016.01.001 [IF 5.370].
12. Disperati, L., & Virdis, S.G.P.* (2015). Assessment of land-use and land-cover changes from 1965 to 2014 in Tam Giang-Cau Hai Lagoon, central Vietnam. Applied Geography, 58, 48-64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2014.12.012 [IF 4.240].
13. Virdis, S.G.P. (2014)*. An object-based image analysis approach for aquaculture ponds precise mapping and monitoring: a case study of Tam Giang-Cau Hai Lagoon, Vietnam. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 186, 117-133. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10661-013-3360-7. [IF 513].
14. Virdis, S.G.P.*, Oggiano, G., & Disperati, L. (2012). A Geomatics Approach to Multitemporal Shoreline Analysis in Western Mediterranean: The Case of Platamona-Maritza Beach (Northwest Sardinia, Italy). Journal of Coastal Research, 28, 624–640. http://dx.doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-11-00078.1. [IF 0.793].
15. Disperati, L., Guastaldi, E., Ciulli, A., Rindinella, A., & Virdis, S. G. P. (2009). L’area ad elevata franosità di Corniglio (Parma): evidenze di deformazioni gravitative profonde e studio degli spostamenti superficiali nel periodo 1976-2008. Engineering, Hydro, Environmental Geology, 11, 15-29 (in Italian).

ONGOING AND COMPLETED PROJECTS

Ongoing

• “Assessment of Environmental Inequalities of Air Pollution of Vulnerable Socioeconomic Groups in the World of Work in Bangkok City, Thailand” funded by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Budget: 400,000 SEK. Period: 2021-2022. Role: Co-PI.
• “Application of Big Earth Data in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals in Thailand”, funded by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT). Budget 10,758,131 THB, Period: 2021-2023. Role: Co-PI.
• “Climate Change Risk Assessment for Southeast Asian Lakes (CCRASEAL)” funded by Asia-Pacific Network for Gobal Change research (APN). Budget: 87,000 USD. Period 2020-2022, Role PI.
• “Assessment of Groundwater Sustainability in the Special Economic Zone of Thailand for Operational Groundwater Management” funded by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Budget: 52,300 USD. Period 2020-2022. Role Co-Pi.
• “Integrated Assessment of SDGs Using Big Earth Observation Data for Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR)” funded by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT). Budget 2,195,000 THB. Period: 2020-2022. Role: Co-PI.

Completed

• “Water harvesting and Agricultural techniques in Dry lands: an Integrated and Sustainable model in MAghreb Regions WADIS-MAR” (ENPI/2011/280-008) large scale EU funded project. Budget 3.5 Million Euros. Period: 2012-2014. Role Co-PI.
• “Integrated Multidisciplinary Approach to flood Risk Analysis IMARA”. EU funded project. Period: 2010. Role: Co-PI.
• “Multitemporal approach for an integrated study of Sardinia Region coastal zone changes AMSICORA”. Funded by Regione Autonoma della Sardegna. Budget: 75,000 Euro. Period: 2009-2011. Role: PI.
• “Geomatics for the management of mineral resource” Capacity building project funded by Ithe talian Ministry of Education, University and Research. Budget: 13,800 Euro. Period: 2009-2010. Role: Co-PI
• L`Aquila town earthquake ground displacements measurements by means of field survey, GPS data collection and post-processing, DInSAR analysis. Post-earthquake disaster and civil protection-oriented project funded with core-funds from the University of Siena. Period: 2009. Role: Co-PI.

RESEARCH KEYWORDS

Geo-Information and Earth Observation Science; climate change and land use / land cover impact assessment; geospatial data-driven methods and environmental monitoring and assessment; satellite radar interferometry (InSAR).