Yujie Zheng

Ph.D - Geophysics
Stanford University - 2020

BS - Geophysics
Peking University - 2014

Modeling, prediction, and retrieval of surface soil moisture from InSAR closure phase 2026 - Journal Article

Validating L-Band InSAR for Tropical Peat Motion Monitoring: A Transformative Approach for Peat Measurement, Reporting, and Verification 2025 - Other

Depth-dependent seismic sensing of groundwater recovery from the atmospheric-river storms of 2023 2025 - Journal Article

Mapping Spatiotemporal Variations of Near‐Surface Seismic Velocity to Monitor Groundwater in Central Oklahoma 2025 - Journal Article

How Fast, How Deep, and How Much? — Seismic Sensing of Groundwater Recharge from the 2023 Atmospheric-River Storms 2025 - Other

Integrating Long‐Term InSAR Monitoring Into Local Groundwater Management: Insights From the Hollywood Basin, California 2025 - Journal Article

Depth-dependent seismic sensing of groundwater recovery from the atmospheric-river storms of 2023 2025 - Journal Article

Long-term InSAR monitoring for Local-scale Groundwater Production Management: A Case Study in Hollywood Basin, California 2024 - Other

Assistant Professor
University of Texas at Dallas [2023–Present]

Postdoctoral Scholar
California Institute of Technology [2020–2023]

InSAR theory and algorithms

My research is driven by one main passion: making the most of modern geodetic datasets, especially interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) measurements, to understand the changes on Earth’s surface.

Tectonic processes

InSAR has been our trusted companion in monitoring surface movements linked to tectonic processes since the landmark 1992 Landers Earthquake. With the support of the latest and upcoming SAR constellations, we can detect even the subtlest shifts in Earth’s movements. I’ve always been deeply fascinated by the tectonic dances of our planet. One of the central goals of my research is to understand earthquake and volcanic processes through the lens of SAR.

Environmental and Sustainability Applications with InSAR

InSAR is not just about measuring target motion. InSAR has this keen sensitivity to changes in things like soil moisture, the lushness of vegetation, and the intricacies of canopy structures. I’m eager to delve into how InSAR can help in diverse earth observation areas.

Modeling soil moisture from closure phase bias

Fringe 2023, Leeds, UK

Closure phase bias: signal or noise?

2022 NISAR Community Science Workshop, Pasadena, CA

Investigating land surface displacements over the San Gabriel Valley, California

2021 AGU, New Orleans, LA

On closure phase and systematic bias in multi-looked SAR interferometry

2021 SCEC Community Geodetic Model Workshop 

Satellite Data Reveals New Insights into Sustainable Groundwater Usage in the Hollywood Basin

Groundwater is a critical resource in Southern California, where long-term drought and climate change place increasing pressure on local aquifers. Some regions, like the Hollywood Basin (a small region in and around the West Hollywood neighborhood), are increasing their reliance on these aquifers in order to reduce the amount of water imported from elsewhere. A new Caltech-led study provides the most detailed picture to date of how the Hollywood Basin responds to groundwater usage, revealing that current estimates of sustainable groundwater yield may be too high.

Seismometers Provide Fuller Picture of Los Angeles Groundwater

Volcanic Tremor and Deformation at Kīlauea