Yichuan Ma (马一川)

Yichuan Ma (马一川)

Keep Exploring in Remote Sensing

Postdoc Fellow @ HKU

Hi, there!

I am a remote sensing guy passionate about pioneering new algorithms to estimate various surface parameters over complex terrains, such as surface reflectance, surface albedo, shortwave radiation. Because terrain effects are often overlooked, these estimates can carry considerable uncertainty in mountainous landscapes. My work addresses this challenge through topography-incoporated estimation algorithms that help reduce this uncertainty and improve the robustness of estimates across complex terrains. As mountains face rapid climate change, remote sensing offers unparalleled long-term, large-scale monitoring capabilities, and I’m excited about how my work empowers critical studies in environmental science and beyond.

Currently, I am a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong, working with Prof. Shunlin Liang. You can access our Lab Page here.

📚 Publications

  1. Ma, H.#, Ma, Y.#, …, Liang, S., 2026. The State of Optical Land Remote Sensing. Proceedings of IEEE (in proof, co-first author).
  2. Ma, Y., Liang, S., He, T., Wen, J., Li, A., Ma, H., Yao, Y., Xu, J., Li, W., Zhang, Y., 2026. Mitigating Topographic Effects in Optical Remote Sensing: From surface reflectance to high-level products. IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine, 14, 117-159
  3. Ma, Y., He, T., Liang, S., Zhang, X., McVicar, T.R., Cai, D., Peng, W., Zheng, Y., Liu, T., Liu, X., 2026. Estimating downward shortwave radiation incorporating topographic effects using a hybrid physical and data-driven method: Algorithm development and long-term global product generation. Remote Sensing of Environment, 340, 115402
  4. Ma, Y., Liang, S., Ma, H., He, T., Shi, X., Li, W., Cai, D., Xiao, X., Guan, S., Liu, W. and Xu, J., 2026. An integrated atmospheric-topographic correction framework for land surface reflectance estimation using a spatial-spectral Attention U-Net model. Remote Sensing of Environment, 334, 115188
  5. Ma, Y., Liang, S., Peng, W., He, T., Ma, H., Chen, Y., Li, W., Xu, J. and Guan, S., 2025. A universal physically-based topographic correction framework for high-resolution optical satellite data. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 227, 459-480
  6. Ma, Y., Liang, S., He, T. and Peng, W., 2025. Significant topographic impacts on moderate-resolution satellite products: Evidence from both geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites and model simulations. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 63, 1-14
  7. Ma, Y., He, T., McVicar, T.R., Liang, S., Liu, T., Peng, W., Song, D.X. and Tian, F., 2024. Quantifying how topography impacts vegetation indices at various spatial and temporal scales. Remote Sensing of Environment, 312, 114311 (ESI highly cited)
  8. Ma, Y., He, T., Aguilar, C., Pimentel, R., Liang, S., McVicar, T.R., Hao, D., Xiao, X. and Liu, X., 2024. Evaluating topographic effects on kilometer-scale satellite downward shortwave radiation products: A case study in mid-latitude mountains. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 62, 1-16
  9. Ma, Y., He, T., Liang, S., McVicar, T.R., Hao, D., Liu, T. and Jiang, B., 2023. Estimation of fine spatial resolution all-sky surface net shortwave radiation over mountainous terrain from Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 285, 113364
  10. Ma, Y., He, T., Liang, S. and Xiao, X., 2022. Quantifying the impacts of DEM uncertainty on clear-sky surface shortwave radiation estimation in typical mountainous areas. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 307, 109222
  11. Ma, Y., He, T., Liang, S., Wen, J., Gastellu-Etchegorry, J.P., Chen, J., Ding, A. and Feng, S., 2022. Landsat snow-free surface albedo estimation over sloping terrain: Algorithm development and evaluation. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 60, 1-14
  12. Ma, Y., He, T., Li, A. and Li, S., 2021. Evaluation and Intercomparison of Topographic Correction Methods Based on Landsat Images and Simulated Data. Remote Sensing, 13, 4120

💡 Patent

Ma, Y., Liang, S., Ma, H. An estimation method for mountainous surface reflectance from remote sensing. Chinese Patent: FIE25230075

📖 Book Chapter

  1. He, T., Ma, Y., Hilker, T. (2026) 3.03 - Surface Reflectance/Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function. Comprehensive Remote Sensing (Second Edition), 3, 21-30, ISBN:9780443239496 (Published by Elsevier)
  2. He, T., Ma, Y., Wang, D., Qu, Y. (2026) 5.08 - Land Surface Albedo. Comprehensive Remote Sensing (Second Edition), 5, 206-231, ISBN:9780443239496 (Published by Elsevier)

✍️ Editorial and reivew experience

· Guest editor for Remote Sensing Special Issue “Radiative Transfer Models for Remote Sensing Land Surface Parameter Estimation”

· Active reviewer for leading international journals (with over 90 completed reviews), including Remote Sensing of Environment, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, GIScience & Remote Sensing, Journal of Remote Sensing, Science of Remote Sensing, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Applied Energy, Renewable Energy, Journal of Hydrology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Building and Envrionment, etc.

🔬 Research Interest

· Investigating Topography’s Impact on Satellite Data: With most satellite algorithms ignoring topographic effects like shadowing, evaluating the reliability of multiple satellite-estimated surface parameters across varied spatial and temporal scales.

· Pioneering Algorithms for Surface Parameter Estimation in Rugged Terrains: Develop both robustness and effecient methods that fully incorporate topographic effects, enabling the generation of long-term and large-scale datasets for mountainous areas.

· Updating scientific knowledge about mountains: With advanced, topography-integrated satellite products, exploring new insights into comprehension of energy budgets and ecosystems in mountain areas.

🎓 Education

· Ph.D. in Remote Sensing Science and Technology (Sep/2019-Jun/2024)
Wuhan University (WHU), Supervisor: Prof. Tao He

· Visiting Ph.D. student (Jun/2023-Mar/2024)
CSIRO Environment, Supervisor: Dr. Tim McVicar

· BEng in Spatial Information and Digital Technology (Sep/2015-Jun/2019)
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Supervisor: Prof. Binbin He and Prof. Minfeng Xing

🏆 Awards

· Future Earth Early-Career Fellowship, 2026
· Wuhan University Academic Innovation Award, 2025
· National Scholarship, 2023/2018/2017
· Grand prize of “Wang Zhizhuo Innovation Award” (2 at WHU), 2023
· Outstanding Presentation Award at four academic forums in China, 2023/2022
· Outstanding Graduate Student Academic Scholarship at Wuhan University, 2023/2022
· CSC scholarship for graduate students in China, 2022
· Outstanding graduate student at WHU, 2021
· Outstanding graduate of UESTC, 2019
· Full scholarship for Technion summer school (150 students in China and 3 at UESTC), 2018
· Tang Lixin scholarship (60 out of all students at UESTC), 2018

🌏 Personal information

Born in Xi’an, China, I like noodles!

Strength training, badminton, hiking, traveling, swiming.