My name is Chih-Heng Lu. I received my Ph.D. degree from the Graduate Institute of Applied Geology at National Central University. Since the beginning of my master’s studies, I have developed a strong interest in remote sensing and have focused on surface deformation analysis using radar imagery. After completing my master’s degree, I worked as a research assistant at the Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research, National Central University, where I participated in projects commissioned by the Central Geological Survey to monitor land subsidence in central Taiwan using InSAR techniques.

During my Ph.D. studies, my research interests expanded to include geodesy, geostatistics, and natural hazards. In the fields of geodesy and geostatistics, I integrated multiple types of geodetic observations to produce fused datasets with enhanced spatiotemporal resolution, significantly improving monitoring capability in land subsidence areas. The results were published in Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (SCI), and this work was recognized with the journal’s Young Scientist Award. In the field of natural hazards, I applied radar image coherence information to identify earthquake-induced damage in urban areas following the Meinong earthquake. The developed methodology and findings were published in Remote Sensing (SCI).

Furthermore, I was awarded a Graduate Students Study Abroad Program grant supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), which enabled me to conduct research at the National Research Council of Italy. During this period, I learned advanced analytical approaches and SAR image processing techniques. These newly acquired skills were successfully applied to detect three-dimensional surface deformation associated with the Hualien earthquake sequence. The results were jointly published with my international advisor in Seismological Research Letters (SCI).

More recently, I developed a novel data fusion approach integrating optical imagery and SAR observations to measure three-dimensional coseismic displacement during the Chi-Chi earthquake. This work further investigated terrain evolution by examining the relationship between coseismic volume change and landslide volume. These studies were published in IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters (SCI) and Geophysical Research Letters (SCI), respectively. In addition, my study assessing the damage potential of public infrastructure induced by postseismic deformation using multi-temporal InSAR techniques has been published in Engineering Geology (SCI).

The Crustal and Environmental Observation Lab (CEO Lab) conducts targeted and systematic observations of a wide range of surface processes and events using remote sensing technologies. By integrating multidisciplinary datasets, the laboratory aims to better understand the mechanisms, driving forces, and evolutionary processes behind natural phenomena occurring at the Earth’s surface. Located in Taiwan, a region situated along the Pacific seismic belt and frequently affected by typhoon tracks, society has long faced significant natural hazard risks. Guided by the philosophy of “rooted in Taiwan, with a global perspective,” the CEO Lab focuses on research in geodynamics, neotectonics, geodesy, and geospatial information science to investigate how mountain-building processes (endogenic forces) interact with erosion and surface processes (exogenic forces) during crustal deformation. In addition, the laboratory applies remote sensing techniques, numerical modeling, geostatistical analysis, and environmental mitigation approaches to examine the causes, evolution, and impacts of natural hazards worldwide. Through these efforts, the CEO Lab seeks to develop practical strategies for hazard mitigation, environmental management, and disaster prevention. Students who are interested in Earth science, remote sensing, and natural hazard research are warmly welcome to join the CEO Lab.