Ryoko Araki

I am a PhD candidate in Hydrology at the Joint Program at UC Santa Barbara & San Diego State University. My work is currently supported by the QUAD Fellowship and the Shida Scholarship Program.

Soil moisture connects land and atmosphere, driving water, energy, and carbon cycles. Yet, our understandings of these processes remain incomplete. To address this challenge, I study how soil, water, and the environment interact at catchment and ecosystem scales. My research combines data- and model-driven approaches with large-scale datasets from field sensors and satellite remote-sensing. This work helps improve Earth and water system models, strengthening our capability to predict flood, drought, and wildfires under changing climate and land-use conditions.

Outside of my office, I love hiking, camping, and backpacking, and exploring beautiful landscapes. I am also a big fan of brewing third-wave coffee. When I’m not outdoors, I enjoy reading books on a wide variety of topics and learning as much as I can about the world around me.