Air pollution represents one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the contemporary era. Among its major contributors, intensive agricultural practices play a significant role in the degradation of air, soil, and water quality, primarily through the application of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and the management of animal waste. These activities lead to the emission of ammonia (NH₃), a short-lived but highly reactive and potentially harmful atmospheric gas. Once released, ammonia undergoes complex interactions with meteorological conditions and atmospheric chemistry, contributing to the formation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which poses serious risks to human health . Ammonia emissions is increasingly disrupting ecosystems, and with global population growth, expanding agriculture is expected to worsen these environmental impacts.

Ammonia emissions associated with changes in agricultural and industrial practices during armed conflicts can be monitored using satellite-based infrared remote sensing data. A previous study using IASI measurements investigated the effects of the Syrian war on atmospheric NH3 concentrations, revealing significant variations in NH₃ levels closely linked to conflict-related dynamics such as industrial shutdowns, territorial occupation, and forced agricultural production . In this thesis, the methodological framework developed through this case study will be extended to other conflict settings, including the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. This work will rely on IASI’s 18-year data record, its successor IASI-NG, and the 2 thermal infrared sounders flying in geostationary orbit: GIIRS and IRS.

These new generation of remote sensors will enhance our capacities to monitor ammonia concentrations in the atmosphere with better instrumental characteristics, spatial coverage and/or temporal resolution. This implies that the current retrieval algorithms, developed for IASI and based on artificial intelligence method, will have to be upgraded. Existing expertise and methodological developments from IASI will be leveraged to design retrieval algorithms for GIIRS, IASI-NG, and IRS. 

The research will be conducted at the LATMOS (Sorbonne University, Paris) laboratory, which is responsible for the operational dissemination of atmospheric ammonia products derived from the IASI, IASI-NG, and IRS satellite missions in the framework of the Eumetsat SAFs. 

A final component of the work will involve the validation of satellite-based NH₃ observations using existing ground-based measurement, in particular from the miniDOAS instrument installed at the QUALAIR platform  located on the roof of Sorbonne University. 

The goals of this research project are to:

1. Examine the environmental impacts of armed conflicts on ammonia distributions as observed by the combo of available thermal infrared remote sensors (IASI + IASI-NG, GIIRS + IRS),

2. Upgrade the current retrieval algorithms, based on artificial intelligence and developed for IASI, for ammonia concentrations restitutions from the new generation of satellite missions (GIIRS, IASI-NG, and IRS), 

3. Validate ammonia satellite observations against ground-based measurements from the QUALAIR platform.  

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For more Information about the topics and the co-financial partner (found by the lab!); contact Directeur de thèse - cathy.clerbaux@latmos.ipsl.fr

Then, prepare a resume, a recent transcript and a reference letter from your M2 supervisor/ engineering school director and you will be ready to apply online  before March 13th, 2026 Midnight Paris time !