Ms. Dikshika Mahapatra

Dikshika Mahapatra

Ph.D. Scholar in Atmosphere and Ocean Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar

"Deciphering the anthropogenic thermodynamic signatures etched into the urban canopy through high-resolution spatial remote sensing and microclimate modeling."

About Me

I am Dikshika, a PhD researcher in Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, working in the Geo-Marine & Geomatics Research Laboratory (GMAG). My research focuses on Urban Remote Sensing and Surface Energy Balance modelling. I study how cities and concrete infrastructure alter local weather and atmospheric conditions. My doctoral thesis focuses on measuring how urban surfaces absorb and release energy and building models to predict urban microclimates. By analyzing satellite data, I aim to understand how rapid urban growth impacts local climate and turn satellite observations into actionable environmental insights.

Research Interests

Media Highlight

Urban Thermal Hotspot Dynamics & Geospatial Climatology

A focal point of my ongoing research work involves the high-resolution geospatial isolation and thermodynamic profiling of urban thermal hotspots. By synthesizing multi-spectral satellite thermography with localized meteorological and structural datasets, this specialized research delineates the precise micro-architectural and anthropogenic drivers that disproportionately exacerbate localized heat stress within urban canopies. The critical socio-environmental implications of these findings, specifically pertaining to heat-induced mortality vulnerabilities and structural mitigation policy frameworks, have commanded substantial attention and extensive syndication across leading national and state media outlets, successfully translating rigorous geomatic science into urgent public discourse.

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Collection of media articles.

Urban Surface Energy Budget

Investigating the intricate partitioning of anthropogenic and natural radiative fluxes over highly heterogenous urban canopies, thereby quantifying the spatio-temporal modulation of sensible, latent, and storage heat exchanges that collectively dictate the thermodynamic trajectory of localized microclimates.

Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Dynamics

Deploying advanced spatiotemporal modeling frameworks to trace the relentless urban/peri-urban expansion and corresponding morphological shifts in terrestrial landscapes, mapping how these historical and projected topological alterations fundamentally reprogram regional meteorological boundary conditions.

Urban Heat Island (UHI) Evolution

Executing high-resolution satellite-derived appraisals to monitor the exacerbation of land surface thermal extremes. This entails utilizing advanced statistical and ML analyses to isolate anomalous heat retention patterns in rapidly evolving tropical Indian metropolises under the duress of climate change.

Environmental Effluent Adsorption

Drawing from my foundational postgraduate research, I maintain an enduring peripheral interest in the physiochemical mechanics of eco-friendly adsorption methodologies, specifically leveraging the porous matrices of synthesized activated bio-carbons (e.g., banana peels) to abstract toxic nanoparticles from compromised aquatic ecosystems.

My Toolkit & Capabilities

Earth Observation & Geomatics

Remote Sensing Data Analysis LULC Predictive Modelling Surface Energy Balance Estimation Urban Microclimate Modelling EOF Analysis Regression and Classification using ML

Computational & Analytical Tools

Python (Pandas, Scikit-learn) MATLAB R Studio GIS Softwares (ArcGIS/QGIS/ENVI/SNAP) Statistical/ML Analysis LUMPS SUEWS

Experience & Education

August 2022 - 2027 (Expected)
Ph.D. Scholar in Atmosphere and Ocean Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, India
My primary doctoral research elucidates the complexities of Urban Remote Sensing, probing into the structural evolution of the urban surface energy budget and its cascading consequences on the localized thermodynamic environment.
2021
Junior Research Fellow (JRF)
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, India
Engaged in a specialized imperative project necessitating the development and algorithmic projection of long-term, high-resolution Land Use Land Cover (LULC) geospatial datasets specifically mapping the peri-urban and rural stratifications of Bhubaneswar.
2017 - 2019
M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences
Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India
Conducted an extensive physicochemical thesis entitled: "Synthesis and Application of Activated Carbon from Banana peels and weeds as cost-effective and eco-friendly adsorbents for the removal of toxic nanoparticles from Environmental Effluents."

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Conference Presentations & Proceedings

Get In Touch

I maintain an open disposition to the discussion of ongoing research, methodological inquiries, or prospective collaborative scientific endeavors. Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Institutional Address

108(B), GMAG Lab, SEOCS

Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar

Argul, Jatani, Khordha, Odisha

India - 752051

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