Langezijds

dr.ir. C. van der Tol (Christiaan)

Associate Professor
ITC-SCI-LIFE
Langezijds 1102
c.vandertol@utwente.nl
+31534874282
Business card

I am associate professor in 'Ecohydrology and Earth Observation' the faculty ITC of the Univeristy of Twente. My expertise: energy, water and carbon budget of the the Earth.

While other people are much better at oceans, ice, lakes and atmosphere, I focus on the soil and vegetation: the green part of the Earth. Plants love CO2 and the Earth is getting greener. That the positive side of climate change.

I have had the privilige to lead a scientific department for four years. I soon realized that you just need to do a few things really well: Provide the overall direction, give responsibility and a lot of freedom to your team, and be there when they need to let off steam. And step out of the centre of attention as quickly as you find yourself there. Otherwise it becomes your show. After all, you want the department to keep running when you're not there. It resulted in a very productive team with diverse ways of working.

In 2001, I obtained by MSc in Hydrology at Wageningen University (2001), cum laude, and in 2007 my PhD in Earth Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (2007) with the thesis ‘Climatic Constaints on Cabon Assimilation and Transpiration of sub-Mediterranean forests’.

Since then, most of my work has been around developing 'observation models' for satellite remote sensing. These models predict what satellites see, and link these observations to the energy, water and carbon fluxes on Earth. That is important for understanding how climate affects our resources. My position is between space agencies who produce data, and scientists and companies who use them.

Hovering between disciplines means that you meet people who think quite differently, and bridging between groups. It costs a lot of effort to find common understanding, but it pays off. In 2023 I was recognized as highly cited researcher in the 'cross field domain', after publishing multiple top 1% articles in different scientific disciplines. 

A key tool has been the model ‘Soil-Canopy Observation of Photosynthesis and Energy fluxes’ (SCOPE) model. It is not just a model but a remote sensing bible containing a collection of models for radiative transfer, photosynthesis, energy partitioning and atmospheric turbulence.

People also know me as mister SIF, because I worked a lot on the  interpretation of satellite observations of Solar Induced Chlorophyll fluorescence, a weak light emitted by plants during their growth.

Computer coding is a large part of my work. I do this for the European Space Agency and for companies. I know that I still need to work on better documentation to reach a wider audience. But feel free to use them. You can find these here: https://github.com/christiaanvandertol

Expertise

  • Earth and Planetary Sciences

    • Model
    • Canopy
    • Fluorescence
    • Vegetation
    • Observation
    • Radiative Transfer
    • Soil
    • Chlorophyll

Organisations

  • ‘Soil-Canopy Observation of Photosynthesis and Energy fluxes’ (SCOPE) model
  • Radiative transfer and energy budgets of vegetation
  • Solar Induced Chlorophyll fluorescence
  • Vegetation structure and functioning
  • Energy dissipation pathways at the Earth surface
  • Rainfall interception, evaporation and transpiration
  • Photosynthesis and heat, water, and nutrient stress
  • FLEX satellite mission

Publications

Jump to: 2025 | 2024 | 2023

2025

Mitigating the black-soil problem in the reflectance-to-fluorescence (R2F) relationship: A soil-adjusted reflectance-based approach for downscaling SIF (2025)Remote sensing of environment, 330, 114998. Article 114998. Yang, P., Liu, Z., Han, D., Zhang, R., Siegmann, B., Liu, J., Zhao, H., Rascher, U., Chen, J. M. & van der Tol, C.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.114998Towards an open soil-plant digital twin based on STEMMUS-SCOPE model following open science (2025)Computers & geosciences, 205. Article 106013. Zeng, Y., Alidoost, F., Schilperoort, B., Liu, Y., Verhoeven, S., Grootes, M. W., Wang, Y., Song, Z., Yu, D., Tang, E., Han, Q., Yu, L., Daoud, M. G. M., Khanal, P., Chen, Y., van der Tol, C., Zurita-Milla, R., Girgin, S., Retsios, V., … Su, Z.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2025.106013Using reflectance to reduce solar angle effects on the scattering of far-red solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence to better track the diurnal dynamics of gross primary productivity (2025)Agricultural and forest meteorology, 373. Article 110794. Lu, X., Yang, P., MacArthur, A. & van der Tol, C.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110794Active-passive microwave detection of shallow ground freeze/thaw dynamics (2025)[Thesis › PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT]. University of Twente, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC). Hofste, J. G.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036568685Replication Data for: Active-Passive Microwave Detection of Shallow Ground Freeze/Thaw DynamicsPhD Thesis (2025)[Dataset Types › Dataset]. DANS Data Station Physical and Technical Sciences. Hofste, J. G., Su, Z., van der Velde, R. & van der Tol, C.https://doi.org/10.17026/pt/kh2meeIntegrating remote sensing and mechanistic modeling for crop monitoring and yield estimation (2025)[Thesis › PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT]. University of Twente, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC). Ntakos, G.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036568241Opposite effects of temperature and precipitation on vegetation growth onset in Africa (2025)Agricultural and forest meteorology, 371. Article 110604. Shi, S., Yang, P., Vrieling, A. & van der Tol, C.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110604A physically consistent dataset of water-energy-carbon fluxes across the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum (2025)Scientific Data, 12. Article 1146 (E-pub ahead of print/First online). Wang, Y., Zeng, Y., Alidoost, F., Schilperoort, B., Song, Z., Yu, D., Tang, E., Han, Q., Liu, Z., Peng, X., Zhang, C., Retsios, V., Girgin, S., Lü, X., Zuo, Q., Cai, H., Yu, Q., van der Tol, C. & Su, Z.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05386-xLinking Kubelka-Munk and recollision probability theories for radiative transfer simulations in turbid canopy (2025)Remote sensing of environment, 321, 114680. Article 114680. Yang, P., Verhoef, W., Fang, H., Fan, W. & van der Tol, C.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.114680Vegetation optimal temperature modulates global vegetation season onset shifts in response to warming climate (2025)Communications Earth & Environment, 6(1). Article 203. Shi, S., Yang, P., Vrieling, A. & van der Tol, C.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02186-4From fluorescence to biomass: A comprehensive analysis via crop modeling and sensing techniques (2025)Smart Agricultural Technology, 10. Article 100807. Ntakos, G., Prikaziuk, E., Vilfan, N., van der Wal, T. & van der Tol, C.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2025.100807

2024

Coupled WOFOST and SCOPE model for remote sensing-based crop growth simulations (2024)Computers and electronics in agriculture, 225. Article 109238. Ntakos, G., Prikaziuk, E., ten Den, T., Reidsma, P., Vilfan, N., van der Wal, T. & van der Tol, C.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2024.109238Investigating the role of groundwater in mitigating vegetation water stress (2024)[Contribution to conference › Abstract] World Groundwater Congress 2024, IAH 2024. Daoud, M. G. M., Alidoost, S. F., Schilperoort, B., Zeng, Y., van der Tol, C., Salama, M. S., Lubczynski, M. W., Yu, L. & Su, Z.Assessing evapotranspiration models for regional implementation in the Mediterranean: A comparative analysis of STEPS, TSEB, and SCOPE with global datasets (2024)Applied Sciences, 14(17). Article 7685. Unnisa, Z., Govind, A., Prikaziuk, E., Van der Tol, C., Lasserre, B., Burchard-Levine, V. & Marchetti, M.https://doi.org/10.3390/app14177685Remote sensing evapotranspiration in ensemble-based framework to enhance cascade routing and re-infiltration concept in integrated hydrological model applied to support decision making (2024)Journal of hydrology, 637, 1-18. Article 131411. Daoud, M. G. M., White, J. T., Morway, E. D., van der Tol, C. & Lubczynski, M. W.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131411Understanding the effects of revegetated shrubs on fluxes of energy, water, and gross primary productivity in a desert steppe ecosystem using the STEMMUS-SCOPE model (2024)Biogeosciences, 21(4), 893-909. Tang, E., Zeng, Y., Wang, Y., Song, Z., Yu, D., Wu, H., Qiao, C., van der Tol, C., Du, L. & Su, Z.https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-893-2024

2023

The roles of radiative, structural and physiological information of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence in predicting gross primary production of a corn crop at various temporal scales (2023)Agricultural and forest meteorology, 342. Article 109720. Yang, P., Liu, X., Liu, Z., van der Tol, C. & Liu, L.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109720Understanding the Effects of Revegetated Shrubs on Fluxes of Energy, Water and Gross Primary Productivity in a Desert Steppe Ecosystem Using STEMMUS-SCOPE Model (2023)[Dataset Types › Dataset]. Zenodo. Tang, E., Zeng, Y., Wang, Y., Song, Z., Yu, D., Wu, H., Qiao, C., van der Tol, C., Du, L. & Su, Z.https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7986565Land Cover Control on the Drivers of Evaporation and Sensible Heat Fluxes: An Observation-Based Synthesis for the Netherlands (2023)Water resources research, 59(11), 1-24. Article e2022WR034361. Jansen, F. A., Jongen, H. J., Jacobs, C. M. J., Bosveld, F. C., Buzacott, A. J. V., Heusinkveld, B. G., Kruijt, B., van der Molen, M., Moors, E., Steeneveld, G. J., van der Tol, C., van der Velde, Y., Voortman, B., Uijlenhoet, R. & Teuling, A. J.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR034361Biogeographic limits of C4 engineered rice (2023)[Working paper › Preprint]. Research Square Publications. Marshall, M., Haridasan, D., Florencio, C. V., van der Tol, C., Vrieling, A., Tu, K., Zhang, L. & Nelson, A.https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3333949/v1From remotely sensed solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence to ecosystem structure, function, and service: Part I—Harnessing theory (2023)Global change biology, 29(11), 2926-2952. Sun, Y., Gu, L., Wen, J., van der Tol, C., Porcar-Castell, A., Joiner, J., Chang, C. Y., Magney, T., Wang, L., Hu, L., Rascher, U., Zarco-Tejada, P., Barrett, C. B., Lai, J., Han, J. & Luo, Z.https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16634From remotely-sensed solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence to ecosystem structure, function, and service: Part II—Harnessing data (2023)Global change biology, 29(11), 2893-2925. Sun, Y., Wen, J., Gu, L., Joiner, J., Chang, C. Y., van der Tol, C., Porcar-Castell, A., Magney, T., Wang, L., Hu, L., Rascher, U., Zarco-Tejada, P., Barrett, C. B., Lai, J., Han, J. & Luo, Z.https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16646Spatial-temporal dynamics of land surface phenology over Africa for the period of 1982–2015 (2023)Heliyon, 9(6). Article e16413. Shi, S., Yang, P. & van der Tol, C.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16413Understanding the Effect of Revegetated Shrubs on Energy, Water and Carbon Fluxes in a Desert Steppe Ecosystem Using STEMMUS-SCOPE Model (2023)[Dataset Types › Dataset]. Zenodo. Tang, E., Zeng, Y., Wang, Y., Song, Z., Yu, D., Wu, H., Qiao, C., van der Tol, C., Du, L. & Su, Z.https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7986566Using the radiative-transfer SCOPE model to predict the vulnerability of tropical forests to changing climate (2023)[Contribution to conference › Poster] NASA Carbon Cycle and Ecosystem Joint Science Workshop 2023. Acebron, K. T., McMahon, S. M., Garcia, M. N., Southwick, C. D., Braun, E. J., Detto, M., Vasquez, V., Prikaziuk, E., van der Tol, C. & Albert, L.https://cce-datasharing.gsfc.nasa.gov/conferences/absbyid/145/35/h/1/

Research profiles

Christiaan van der Tol has supervised nearly 50 Msc research thesis projects on topics of remote sensing of water fluxes and vegetation processes. He coordinates the curriculum of the Water Resources specialization of the MSc course of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation. He also trains young researchers in (among others) the PhD training network TRuStEE.

Courses academic year 2025/2026

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Most of research and innovation projects funded by European Space Agency NWO and the EU focus on understanding the interactions between water, energy, carbon, and between plants and climate.

- Data and Innovation Science Cluster (DISC) of the ESA's Earth Explorer satellite mission FLEX

- ESA: Climate Change Initiative project, building long-term joint sensor time series of essential climate variables of vegetation.

- Horizon Europe project CONCERTO: closing the carbon budget

- Horizon Europe project DRYAD: nature based solutions in agropastoral systems

Current projects

TRuStEE

emote sensing (RS) data at a range of scales from proximal observations to global extent sampling can detect essential changes in plant traits (PTs), biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, providing a method for scaling-up. However there are still methodological and technical constraints that hamper a systematic incorporation of RS in ecosystem models, including scalability and multi-source data integration issues. TRuStEE will train a new generation of scientists with complementary and interdisciplinary skills in ecosystem modelling, plant physiology, RS technologies and big data analysis, addressing the specific objectives: 1) to identify essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) and the link with PTs and ecosystem functional properties (EFPs), inferable from RS, 2) to investigate a completely new avenue for assessing vegetation photosynthetic efficiency from RS measurements of canopy fluorescence, 3) to assimilate diverse RS data streams with varying spatial and temporal resolution in dynamic ecosystem models and 4) to exploit new satellite missions (e.g. ESA-FLEX, ESA-Sentinels, NASA-GEDI) and EO products for the upscaling of PTs, EBVs and EFPs. The early stage researchers (ESRs) involved will strongly benefit from the network of internationally recognized scientists and private companies with relevant expertise in these topics. The cooperation program proposed will link academic and non-academic participants to allow the circulation of ESRs giving them the opportunity to become new research and innovation leaders in the most cutting edge sophisticated technologies in the field, increasing their employability in both academic and private sectors.

Exploring vegetation strategies to utilize light and water for primary productivity through remote sensing of reflectance and fluorescence.

Plants have played a crucial role in the history of Earth. They have turned the planet into a habitable place, while developing new ways to colonize the planet and adapting to climate change. The recent launch of a large number of satellites observing Earth makes it possible to better understand the role of vegetation in climate by investigating plant functional traits. We propose to use data of OLCI and SLSTR on Sentinel-3 satellites together with GOME-2 data of solar induced fluorescence (SIF), to analyse strategies of plants to utilize light and water and avoid stress. We use a dedicated computer simulation model for remote sensing of vegetation, SCOPE, coupled to an atmospheric radiative transfer model, MODTRAN. We will first exploit the dual-view mode of the SLSTR sensor (near- to thermal infrared) and the bands of OLCI (visible to shortwave infrared) on Sentinel 3 to retrieve vegetation structure and temperature. Second, we will use SIF detected with GOME-2 on Metop to retrieve the fluorescence quantum emission efficiency (FQE), a variable that determines the light saturation of photosynthesis. We will finally evaluate the light and water use strategy of the vegetation across a precipitation and illumination gradient in tropical Africa.

Address

University of Twente

Langezijds (building no. 19), room 1102
Hallenweg 8
7522 NH Enschede
Netherlands

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