About
Matthias Forkel studied geography and geoinformatics with a focus on remote sensing and completed his doctorate at the interface of global biogeochemistry and remote sensing. He considers himself an interdisciplinary environmental scientist with a focus on remote sensing. He has held the Chair of Environmental Remote Sensing at TU Dresden since 2019. His core research areas are method development and evaluation of optical and microwave satellite observations for monitoring, understanding, quantifying and modeling changes in terrestrial ecosystems and landscapes, in particular interactions between atmosphere, vegetation, water and carbon cycles and forest fires, and the associated feedbacks in the Earth system. He has a strong interest in combining globally-oriented basic earth system research with the practical requirements of regional climate change adaptation (focus on Central Europe).
Matthias' research group at TU Dresden
Professional research experience
- since 09/2025 | TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany | Professor for Environmental Remote Sensing, Faculty for Environmental Sciences
- since 09/2019 | TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany | Junior-Professor for Environmental Remote Sensing, Faculty for Environmental Sciences
- 2016-2019 | TU Wien, Vienna, Austria | PostDoc at the Department of Geodesy and Geoinformation, Climate and Environmental Remote Sensing Group
- 2011-2015 | Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany | PhD candidate, later PostDoc at the Department of Biogeochemical Integration
- 2009-2010 | Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany | Scientific assistant at the Department for Earth Observation
Education
- 2015 | PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) | Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany | Thesis: Controls on Global Greening, Phenology, and the Enhanced Seasonal CO2 Amplitude – Integrating Decadal Satellite Observations and Global Ecosystem Models
- 2008-2010 | M.Sc. | Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany | Master degree in Geoinformatics
- 2005-2008 | B.Sc. | Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany | Bachelor degree in Geography