Oz Kira
Senior Academic
חבר/ת סגל אקדמי בכיר | Faculty of Engineering Sciences | Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
חוקר במרכז | בית הספר לקיימות ושינויי אקלים
Dr. Oz Kira
Building 42 - Guzic Family building of Biotechnology Engineering Floor 0 Room 004
ozkira@bgu.ac.il
074-779-5310
0000-0002-1620-2323
חבר/ת סגל אקדמי בכיר | Faculty of Engineering Sciences | Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
חוקר במרכז | בית הספר לקיימות ושינויי אקלים
חבר/ת סגל אקדמי בכיר | Faculty of Engineering Sciences | Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
חוקר במרכז | בית הספר לקיימות ושינויי אקלים
About
Dr. Oz Kira is a senior lecturer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where he leads a multidisciplinary research group in environmental sensing and urban sustainability. His research focuses on developing and applying remote and proximal sensing technologies, satellite data analysis, and artificial intelligence to monitor vegetation, predict crop yields, and quantify ecosystem services in urban and agricultural environments. His work covers urban green infrastructure, including green walls and roofs, vertical farming, and agrivoltaics, as well as urban heat and air pollution mapping. In parallel, he develops sustainable material solutions, such as incorporating recycled plastics into concrete and thermally recycling old concrete. His research integrates advanced spectral sensing, field and laboratory experiments, and machine learning models to provide applied decision-support tools for urban planning, smart agriculture, and environmental health.Courses
מבוא להנדסת סביבה Introduction to environmental engineeringכימיה למהנדסי בניין Chemistry fo structural engineers
הנדסת תשתיות מים ושפכים Water and wastewater engineering
מדע נתונים סביבתי Environmental data science
חישה סביבתית Environmental sensing
Publications
(1) Kira, O., Linker, R., Shaviv, A. A Novel Method Combining FTIR-ATR Spectroscopy and Stable Isotopes to Investigate the Kinetics of Nitrogen Transformations in Soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 78:54?60 (2014). (14 (ISI), 20 (GS), IF:2.4, ranking 29/48 (Soil science), Q3).
(2) Kira, O., Linker, R., Gitelson, A. A. Non-destructive estimation of foliar chlorophyll and carotenoid contents: Focus on informative spectral bands. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation & Geoinformation. 38:251-260 (2015). (107 (ISI), 139 (GS), IF:8.6, ranking 5/63 (Remote sensing), Q1).
(3) Kira, O., Dubowski, Y., Linker. R. Reconstruction of passive open-path FTIR ambient spectra using meteorological measurements and its application for detection of aerosol cloud drift. Optics Express. 23: no.15 (2015). (8 (ISI), 12 (GS), IF:3.2, ranking 41/125 (Optics), Q2).
(4) Kira, O., Nguy-Robertson, A. L., Arkebauer, T. J., Linker, R., Gitelson, A. A. Informative spectral bands for remote green LAI estimation in C3 and C4 crops. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 218-219 (2016) 243-249. (67 (ISI), 85 (GS), IF:5.7, ranking 8/129 (Agronomy), Q1).
(5) Kira, O., Linker, R., Dubowski, Y. Detection and quantification of water-based aerosols using active open-path FTIR. Scientific Reports. 6, 25110 (2016). (9 (ISI), 15 (GS), IF:3.9, ranking 25/135 (Multidisciplinary sciences), Q1).
(6) Kira, O., Linker, R., Dubowski, Y. Estimating drift of airborne pesticides during orchard spraying using active Open Path FTIR. Atmospheric Environment. 142: 264-270 (2016). (12 (ISI), 20 (GS), IF:3.7, ranking 37/111 (Atmospheric sciences), Q2).
(7) Kira, O., Nguy-Robertson, A. L., Arkebauer, T. J., Linker, R., Gitelson, A. A. Toward Generic Models for Green LAI Estimation in Maize and Soybean: Satellite Observations. Remote Sensing. 9: 1-16 (2017). (33 (ISI), 44 (GS), IF:4.1, ranking 47/258 (Geoscience), Q1).
(8) Kira, O., Dubowski, Y., Linker, R. In-situ open path FTIR measurements of the vertical profile of spray drift from air-assisted sprayers. Biosystems Engineering 169: 32-41 (2018). (16 (ISI), 24 (GS), IF:5.3, ranking 12/94 (Agriculture, multidisciplinary), Q1).
(9) Kira, O., Shaviv, A., Dubowski, Y. Direct Tracing of NH3 and N2O Emissions Associated with Urea Fertilization Approaches, using Static Incubation Cells. Science of the Total Environment, 661: 75-85 (2019). (18 (ISI), 27 (GS), IF:8, ranking 39/374 (Environmental sciences), Q1)
(10) Kira, O., Bareket, M., Sabach, S., Dubowski, Y. VOC emissions from polyurethane mattresses in the sleeping environment: comparison under different environmental conditions using chamber experiments. Environmental Science and Technology 53, 15, 9171-9180 (2019). (40 (ISI), 56 (GS), IF:11.3, ranking 19/374 (Environmental sciences), Q1).
(11) Peng, Y., Kira, O., Nguy-Robertson, A., Suyker, A., Arkebauer, T., Sun, Y., Gitelson, A. Gross primary production estimation in crops using solely remotely sensed data. Agronomy Journal 111(6): 1-10 (2019). (9 (ISI), 10 (GS), IF:2, ranking 44/129 (Agronomy), Q2).
(12) Kira, O., Sun, Y. Extraction of sub-pixel C3/C4 emissions of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) using artificial neural network. ISPRS J. Photogramm. Remote Sens. 161: 135-146 (2020). (14 (ISI), 19 (GS), IF:12.2, ranking 2/65 (Remote sensing), Q1).
(13) Chang, C. Y., Zhou, R., Kira, O., Marri, S., Skovira, J., Gu, L., Sun, Y. An Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for concurrent measurements of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence and hyperspectral reflectance toward improving crop monitoring. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 294, 108145 (2020). (54 (ISI), 88 (GS), IF:5.7, ranking 8/129 (Agronomy), Q1).
(14) Kira, O., Chang, C. Y., Gu, L., Wen, J., Hong, Z., Sun, Y. Partitioning Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of CO2 Using Solar?Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF). Geophysical Research Letters. 48 (4) e2020GL091247. (2021). (10 (ISI), 16 (GS), IF:4.6, ranking 30/254 (Geosciences), Q1).
(15) Chang, C. Y., Wen, J., Han, J., Kira, O., LeVonne, J., Melkonian, J., Riha, S. J., Skovira, J., Ng, S., Gu, L., Wood, J. D., N?the, P., Sun, Y. Unpacking the drivers of diurnal dynamics of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF): Canopy structure, plant physiology, instrument configuration and retrieval methods. Remote Sensing of Environment. 265, 112672. (2021). (64 (ISI), 81 (GS), IF:11.4, ranking 3/65 (Remote sensing), Q1).
(16) Kira, O., Shaviv, A., Dubowski, Y. Concomitant tracking of NH3, N2O and soil mineral-N using steady-state incubation cells to enhance sustainability of urea fertilization approaches. Geoderma. 404, 115305. (2021). (5 (ISI), 8 (GS), IF:6.6, ranking 6/48 (Soil science), Q1).
(17) Han, J., Chang, C, Y., Gu, L., Zhang, Y., Meeker, E.W., Magney, T.S., Walker, A.P., Wen, JS., Kira, O., McNaull, S., Sun, Y. The physiological basis for estimating photosynthesis from Chla fluorescence. New Phytologist, 234: 1206-1219 (2022). (55 (ISI), 68 (GS), IF:8.1, ranking 12/273 (Plant science), Q1).
(18) Darzi, R., Kira, O., Shaviv, A., Dubowski, Y. Evaluating How Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizers Improve Agricultural Sustainability: Greenhouse Multi-Phase Tracking System. Agriculture, 13(7), 1384 (2023). (1 (ISI), 1 (GS), IF:3.6, ranking 19/129 (Agronomy), Q1).
(19) Tiwari, A., Kira, O., Bamah, J., Boneh, H., Karnieli, A. Multi-Sensor Classification Framework of Urban Vegetation for Improving Ecological Services Management. Remote Sens., 16(6), 1110 (2024). (2 (ISI),6 (GS), IF:4.1, ranking 47/258 (Geoscience), Q1).
(20) Kira, O., Wen, J., Han, J., McDonald, A., Barrett, C., Ortiz-Bobea, A., Liu, Y., You, L., Mueller, N., Sun, Y. A scalable crop yield estimation framework based on remote sensing of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF). Environ. Res. Lett. 19 044071 (2024). (16 (ISI), 19 (GS), IF:5.6, ranking 73/374 (Environmental Sciences), Q1).
(21) Kaplan, A., Gozlan, I., Kira, O., Avisar, D. Interactions between volatile air pollutants and atmospheric water production?Effects of chemical properties, mechanisms, and transfer processes. 365, 143399 (2024). (5 (ISI), 8 (GS), IF:8.1, ranking 32/358 (Environmental Sciences), Q1).
(22) Azoulay-Kochavi, S., Kira, O., Gal, E. Real-Time Monitoring of Environmental Parameters in Schools to Improve Indoor Resilience Under Extreme Events. Smart Cities, 8(1), 7 (2025). (3 (ISI), 3 (GS), IF:5.5, ranking 6/76 (Urban studies), Q1).
(23) Svoboda, M., Kira, O., Sun, Y., Smith, W. K., Magney, T., Wood, J. D., Parazoo, N. C. Monitoring the Pulse of America?s Natural Resources from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory Missions. AGU Advances, 6(5) (2025). (IF: 6.6, 17/258 (Geosciences, Multidisciplinary), Q1).
(24) Muleta, A. T., Bamah, J., Bushner, S., Kira, O. The Impact of Image Spatial Resolution and Machine Learning Algorithm on Urban Vegetation Classification: Focus on Data Loss and Misclassification. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 18 (2025). (IF: 5.3, 12/65 (Remote Sensing), Q1).
(25) Yaakov, M., Muleta, A.T., Bamah, J., Kira O. In-season Corn Yield Prediction Using Satellite-derived Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Machine Learning Algorithms. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. Accepted. (IF: 8.6, 5/65 (Remote Sensing), Q1).
(2) Kira, O., Linker, R., Gitelson, A. A. Non-destructive estimation of foliar chlorophyll and carotenoid contents: Focus on informative spectral bands. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation & Geoinformation. 38:251-260 (2015). (107 (ISI), 139 (GS), IF:8.6, ranking 5/63 (Remote sensing), Q1).
(3) Kira, O., Dubowski, Y., Linker. R. Reconstruction of passive open-path FTIR ambient spectra using meteorological measurements and its application for detection of aerosol cloud drift. Optics Express. 23: no.15 (2015). (8 (ISI), 12 (GS), IF:3.2, ranking 41/125 (Optics), Q2).
(4) Kira, O., Nguy-Robertson, A. L., Arkebauer, T. J., Linker, R., Gitelson, A. A. Informative spectral bands for remote green LAI estimation in C3 and C4 crops. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 218-219 (2016) 243-249. (67 (ISI), 85 (GS), IF:5.7, ranking 8/129 (Agronomy), Q1).
(5) Kira, O., Linker, R., Dubowski, Y. Detection and quantification of water-based aerosols using active open-path FTIR. Scientific Reports. 6, 25110 (2016). (9 (ISI), 15 (GS), IF:3.9, ranking 25/135 (Multidisciplinary sciences), Q1).
(6) Kira, O., Linker, R., Dubowski, Y. Estimating drift of airborne pesticides during orchard spraying using active Open Path FTIR. Atmospheric Environment. 142: 264-270 (2016). (12 (ISI), 20 (GS), IF:3.7, ranking 37/111 (Atmospheric sciences), Q2).
(7) Kira, O., Nguy-Robertson, A. L., Arkebauer, T. J., Linker, R., Gitelson, A. A. Toward Generic Models for Green LAI Estimation in Maize and Soybean: Satellite Observations. Remote Sensing. 9: 1-16 (2017). (33 (ISI), 44 (GS), IF:4.1, ranking 47/258 (Geoscience), Q1).
(8) Kira, O., Dubowski, Y., Linker, R. In-situ open path FTIR measurements of the vertical profile of spray drift from air-assisted sprayers. Biosystems Engineering 169: 32-41 (2018). (16 (ISI), 24 (GS), IF:5.3, ranking 12/94 (Agriculture, multidisciplinary), Q1).
(9) Kira, O., Shaviv, A., Dubowski, Y. Direct Tracing of NH3 and N2O Emissions Associated with Urea Fertilization Approaches, using Static Incubation Cells. Science of the Total Environment, 661: 75-85 (2019). (18 (ISI), 27 (GS), IF:8, ranking 39/374 (Environmental sciences), Q1)
(10) Kira, O., Bareket, M., Sabach, S., Dubowski, Y. VOC emissions from polyurethane mattresses in the sleeping environment: comparison under different environmental conditions using chamber experiments. Environmental Science and Technology 53, 15, 9171-9180 (2019). (40 (ISI), 56 (GS), IF:11.3, ranking 19/374 (Environmental sciences), Q1).
(11) Peng, Y., Kira, O., Nguy-Robertson, A., Suyker, A., Arkebauer, T., Sun, Y., Gitelson, A. Gross primary production estimation in crops using solely remotely sensed data. Agronomy Journal 111(6): 1-10 (2019). (9 (ISI), 10 (GS), IF:2, ranking 44/129 (Agronomy), Q2).
(12) Kira, O., Sun, Y. Extraction of sub-pixel C3/C4 emissions of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) using artificial neural network. ISPRS J. Photogramm. Remote Sens. 161: 135-146 (2020). (14 (ISI), 19 (GS), IF:12.2, ranking 2/65 (Remote sensing), Q1).
(13) Chang, C. Y., Zhou, R., Kira, O., Marri, S., Skovira, J., Gu, L., Sun, Y. An Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for concurrent measurements of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence and hyperspectral reflectance toward improving crop monitoring. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 294, 108145 (2020). (54 (ISI), 88 (GS), IF:5.7, ranking 8/129 (Agronomy), Q1).
(14) Kira, O., Chang, C. Y., Gu, L., Wen, J., Hong, Z., Sun, Y. Partitioning Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of CO2 Using Solar?Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF). Geophysical Research Letters. 48 (4) e2020GL091247. (2021). (10 (ISI), 16 (GS), IF:4.6, ranking 30/254 (Geosciences), Q1).
(15) Chang, C. Y., Wen, J., Han, J., Kira, O., LeVonne, J., Melkonian, J., Riha, S. J., Skovira, J., Ng, S., Gu, L., Wood, J. D., N?the, P., Sun, Y. Unpacking the drivers of diurnal dynamics of sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF): Canopy structure, plant physiology, instrument configuration and retrieval methods. Remote Sensing of Environment. 265, 112672. (2021). (64 (ISI), 81 (GS), IF:11.4, ranking 3/65 (Remote sensing), Q1).
(16) Kira, O., Shaviv, A., Dubowski, Y. Concomitant tracking of NH3, N2O and soil mineral-N using steady-state incubation cells to enhance sustainability of urea fertilization approaches. Geoderma. 404, 115305. (2021). (5 (ISI), 8 (GS), IF:6.6, ranking 6/48 (Soil science), Q1).
(17) Han, J., Chang, C, Y., Gu, L., Zhang, Y., Meeker, E.W., Magney, T.S., Walker, A.P., Wen, JS., Kira, O., McNaull, S., Sun, Y. The physiological basis for estimating photosynthesis from Chla fluorescence. New Phytologist, 234: 1206-1219 (2022). (55 (ISI), 68 (GS), IF:8.1, ranking 12/273 (Plant science), Q1).
(18) Darzi, R., Kira, O., Shaviv, A., Dubowski, Y. Evaluating How Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizers Improve Agricultural Sustainability: Greenhouse Multi-Phase Tracking System. Agriculture, 13(7), 1384 (2023). (1 (ISI), 1 (GS), IF:3.6, ranking 19/129 (Agronomy), Q1).
(19) Tiwari, A., Kira, O., Bamah, J., Boneh, H., Karnieli, A. Multi-Sensor Classification Framework of Urban Vegetation for Improving Ecological Services Management. Remote Sens., 16(6), 1110 (2024). (2 (ISI),6 (GS), IF:4.1, ranking 47/258 (Geoscience), Q1).
(20) Kira, O., Wen, J., Han, J., McDonald, A., Barrett, C., Ortiz-Bobea, A., Liu, Y., You, L., Mueller, N., Sun, Y. A scalable crop yield estimation framework based on remote sensing of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF). Environ. Res. Lett. 19 044071 (2024). (16 (ISI), 19 (GS), IF:5.6, ranking 73/374 (Environmental Sciences), Q1).
(21) Kaplan, A., Gozlan, I., Kira, O., Avisar, D. Interactions between volatile air pollutants and atmospheric water production?Effects of chemical properties, mechanisms, and transfer processes. 365, 143399 (2024). (5 (ISI), 8 (GS), IF:8.1, ranking 32/358 (Environmental Sciences), Q1).
(22) Azoulay-Kochavi, S., Kira, O., Gal, E. Real-Time Monitoring of Environmental Parameters in Schools to Improve Indoor Resilience Under Extreme Events. Smart Cities, 8(1), 7 (2025). (3 (ISI), 3 (GS), IF:5.5, ranking 6/76 (Urban studies), Q1).
(23) Svoboda, M., Kira, O., Sun, Y., Smith, W. K., Magney, T., Wood, J. D., Parazoo, N. C. Monitoring the Pulse of America?s Natural Resources from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory Missions. AGU Advances, 6(5) (2025). (IF: 6.6, 17/258 (Geosciences, Multidisciplinary), Q1).
(24) Muleta, A. T., Bamah, J., Bushner, S., Kira, O. The Impact of Image Spatial Resolution and Machine Learning Algorithm on Urban Vegetation Classification: Focus on Data Loss and Misclassification. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 18 (2025). (IF: 5.3, 12/65 (Remote Sensing), Q1).
(25) Yaakov, M., Muleta, A.T., Bamah, J., Kira O. In-season Corn Yield Prediction Using Satellite-derived Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Machine Learning Algorithms. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. Accepted. (IF: 8.6, 5/65 (Remote Sensing), Q1).
