XW / field notes & curious things

XUEYANG WANG · PENN STATE · Ph.D. CANDIDATE

Exploring the Changing
Coastal Arctic

I integrate satellite observations, UAV and ground-based surveys, and computational modeling.

Xueyang's research world, from satellites to Arctic soilAn illustrative notebook drawing with five research notes: a house beside an eroding coast, satellite observation, a ground-based survey, a UAV survey, and modeling beneath the surface. boots on. drone up.please hold still, Earth.will the ground hold?ARCTIC OCEAN 01 Satellite Observation

Select a numbered field note to view its research goal, method and findings.

Illustrated research map · field photos in note 00

01 Satellite Observation
Xueyang Wang by the sea at sunset

THE PERSON WITH THE BOOTS

Hello, I'm Xueyang.

Geotechnical engineering. Near-surface geophysics.

I'm a Ph.D. candidate in Geotechnical Engineering at Penn State, with an expected graduation in May 2027. My work spans UAV-electromagnetics, field investigation, satellite remote sensing, machine learning, AI, THMC modeling, and petrophysical inversion.

Say hello: [email protected] ↗
  1. –EXPECTED · MAY 2027
    Penn State logo

    Penn State

    Doctoral research · Geotechnical Engineering

    1. EXPECTED
      The next milestone

      Expected Ph.D. completion in Geotechnical Engineering in May 2027.

    2. Refining shoreline-change records

      I began integrating high-resolution digital surface models and UAV imagery with satellite observations to refine shoreline-change products spanning multiple decades.

      See my product
    3. Modeling heat, water, and salt

      I developed a coupled thermo-hydro-chemical (THC) model for saline permafrost, using physics-guided transfer learning to parameterize soil freezing behavior. Manuscript submitted to the Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering.

      Read the paper
    4. Taking geophysics off the ground

      I developed an inversion workflow for drone-mounted VLF-EM measurements to image electrical resistivity in coastal saline permafrost. Published in Engineering Geology.

      Read the paper
    5. Inferring what lies beneath

      I developed a hierarchical Bayesian framework to estimate ice content, unfrozen water content, and salinity in permafrost from electrical resistivity and temperature data. Manuscript submitted to the Canadian Geotechnical Journal.

      Read the paper
    6. My first fieldwork in Alaska

      My first Alaska field season took me to Utqiaġvik, where I used drone-mounted electromagnetic measurements and near-surface geophysics to investigate coastal permafrost.

    7. A new research chapter

      After completing my M.S. in Geotechnical Engineering at the Central Research Institute of Building and Construction, China, I joined Penn State as a graduate research assistant and began my doctoral research.

  2. –
    MCC logo

    Engineering in practice

    During my master's studies, I spent two years working alongside experienced engineers and researchers at China Jingye Engineering (MCC, China) on slope investigations, foundation engineering, and excavation impact assessments.

  3. Tongji University logo

    From coursework to research

    I completed my geotechnical engineering coursework at Tongji University and began research and development work at the Central Research Institute of Building and Construction, China.

  4. Central South University logo

    Starting below the surface

    B.S. in Underground Space Engineering, Central South University, China.

RESEARCH FIELD NOTES / 00–04

Research methods and findings.

Select a field note to explore the research.

RESEARCH FIELD NOTES