PhD (Otago) MSc (UTM) BSc (UTM)
Email yong.chienzheng@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 7584
Office: Surveying building, first floor, Room 126
Profile
Lecturer
Yong is a geodesist who studies how the Earth's plate tectonic motions change over space and time. He is also interested to learn about the Earth's deformation (vertical land motion, landslides, etc.) with the Global Positioning System ( GPS ) measurements. With the emerging Global Navigation Satellite System ( GNSS), his current research focuses on utilising the GPS / GNSS measurements with low-cost instruments to achieve high-precision positioning in geodynamics and deformation studies.
In 2012, he completed an MSc (Satellite Surveying) degree at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia ( UTM ). He then worked as a field surveyor in Singapore, carrying out a variety of cadastral, geodetic and engineering survey projects. A year later, in 2014, he undertook a PhD study at the School of Surveying, the University of Otago, in tectonic geodesy using nearly two decades of GPS data to investigate the impact of the great earthquakes (Magnitude 8 and above) in the western margin of Sundaland plate (Southeast Asia). After completing his PhD in 2019, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the same school with the project title: “Precise GNSS Positioning with Smartphones”, funded by Geoscience Australia (FrontierSI) in collaboration with RMIT University and the Australian National University. Yong was appointed as a Senior Lecturer at the UTM a year later in 2020, where he was teaching in surveying fundamentals (Year 1 Surveying and Computation), geometrical geodesy (Year 3 Map Projection), industrial surveying (Year 4) and a few other general papers (Year 3 Technical Writing and Year 4 Dissertation).
He returned to the University of Otago in October 2022 as a lecturer in the School of Surveying. His roles in the School are delivering the surveying fundamentals, introductory field camp, surveying methods and other papers. He is passionate about research by involving himself in plate tectonic, Earth deformation, and vertical land motion projects. His research currently focuses on studying an alternative positioning approach using smartphones and low-cost receivers capable of providing high-positioning performance for tectonic geodesy studies.
Teaching
- SURV 120 Surveying and Spatial Science (co-ordinator)
- SURV 298 Introductory Field Course (contributor)
- SURV 301 Surveying Methods 2 (co-ordinator)
- SURV 451 Surveying Methods 3 (co-ordinator)
Research
Research interests
- Precise GPS / GNSS positioning
- Low-cost and smart devices positioning
- Tectonic geodesy
- Earth Deformation
- Vertical Land Motion
Projects
Current projects
- Low-cost and smart devices positioning
- Land subsidence. Monitoring the vertical land movement in Kelantan, Malaysia with long record GPS CORSs measurements
- Tectonic geodesy. Crustal deformation analysis in the Western Sundaland Plate (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Borneo) from long record GPS CORSs measurements
Completed projects
- Geoid Modelling. Project participant in “Optimum Approach of Downward Continuation and Geoid Computation to Produce Precise Hybrid Geoid Model Over Sarawak” (2022–2025)
- Earth Deformation. Project participant in “An Integration of the Atmospheric Correction Derived from GPS and Microwave Radiometer Data for Improving Persistent Scatterer InSAR Processing in Dam Surface Deformation Modelling.” (2021–2024)
- Smartphone Positioning. Postdoctoral Research Fellow of “Precise GNSS positioning with smartphones”, funded by Geoscience Australia. (2020–2021)
- PhD. Tectonic Geodesy: An Analysis of the Crustal Deformation of the Western Sundaland Plate from Nearly Two Decades of continuous GPS Measurements. (Supervisors: Paul Denys, Christopher Pearson)
- MSc. Developing Continuous Displacement Detection System for Geohazards Monitoring. (Supervisors: Tajul Ariffin Musa, Rusli Othman)
- BEng. Deformation Monitoring System in Web-based Visualisation. (Supervisor: Halim Setan)
Supervision
Visiting Scholar
- Professor Dr Li Yunzhao (2024–2025), Visiting Scholar from Ludong University, China
Current research students
Primary supervision
- Kahatagahadiwela Gedara Lakshika Chathumali Kahatagahadiwela (2025), PhD, Evaluating three-dimension (3D) positional uncertainty of Sri Lanka Geodetic Coordinate System due to tectonic plate movements using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
- Heng Joe Eu (2024), PhD, GNSS Reflectometry in vertical land movement and detection of sea level rise
Co-supervision
- Phyo C Thu (2024), PhD, GNSS positioning using low-cost, dual-frequency multi-GNSS receivers and smart devices
- Maritsa Faridatunnisa (2023), PhD, The effect of vertical land motion on sea level variability in Indonesian waters
Previous research students
- Kyle Xue (2025), BSurv(Hons), Precise cm-level GNSS smartphone positioning: its practicality and possibility in everyday surveying
- Jimmy Luff (2025), BSurv(Hons), Multipath effects across mass-market smartphones with comparisons to low-cost and high-cost GNSS receiver positioning techniques
- Omar Alolyani (2025), SURV580/590, Evaluating Obstacles Effectiveness on GNSS RTK Positioning
- Gray Robinson (2024), BSurv(Hons), Low-cost GNSS and Mobile Augmented Reality for precise cm-level positioning
- Hongmin Zhang (2024-2025), Visiting PhD from Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Grace Ng Shi Hui (2023), Visiting PhD from National Technological University Singapore
- Mohd Syazwan Affif Sulaiman (2021), BEng(Hons, UTM), Global Navigation Satellite System Positioning Accuracy Performance Assessment with Precise Point Positioning and Relative Positioning. Achievement: Best Research Award, Undergraduate Research Conference 2021
- Ahmad Danial Yusuf (2021), BEng(Hons, UTM), Determination of Land Volume and Its Accuracy Between GPS and Aerial Photo
- Chang Yong Sheng (2021), BEng(Hons, UTM), Development of the fault database of Malaysia
- Chia Yueh En (2021), BEng(Hons, UTM), Quality Assessment for High Precision GNSS Positioning with Android-Based Smartphone
- Teo Chuan Yi (2021), BEng(Hons, UTM), Satellite geometry analysis and GNSS performance evaluation in the urban environment
- Khairul Nizam Mohamad Kamal (2021), BEng(Hons, UTM), Determination of Co-seismic Deformation in Peninsular Malaysia During The 2012 Wharton Basin Earthquakes. Co-supervision with Dr Khairulnizam M. Idris
PhD opportunities
There are a number of potential projects in the area of tectonic geodesy for PhD research. Students who are interested must have a University of Otago equivalent grade point average (GPA) of at least 8.0 to be eligible for a competitive scholarship (open to domestic and international students). This scholarship covers a NZ$34,128 stipend per annum plus a domestic tuition fees waiver for 36 months. Further information can be obtained from the Graduate Research School website
Professional services
Awards
Editorial
- Assistant Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Spatial Science (2023–)
- Editorial board member for the Journal of Spatial Science (2023–)
Publications
C Thu, P., Odolinski, R., Yong, C. Z., Zhang, B., Yang, H., Barbeau, S., … Leonard, G. (2026). First smartwatch RTK results: Performance analysis of instantaneous, single-frequency multi-GNSS cm-level positioning with comparison to Google Pixel 5 smartphones. GPS Solutions, 30, 3. doi: 10.1007/s10291-025-01965-y Journal - Research Article
Ng, G., Feng, L., Zhou, X., Luo, H., Wang, K., Sun, T., Yong, C. Z., & Hill, E. (2026). Weak asthenosphere of Sumatran backarc revealed by long postseismic geodetic records. Communications Earth & Environment. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1038/ s43247-026-03561-5 Journal - Research Article
Yong, C. Z., Harima, K., Rubinov, E., McClusky, S., & Odolinski, R. (2022). Instantaneous best integer equivariant position estimation using Google Pixel 4 smartphones for single- and dual-frequency, multi-GNSS short-baseline RTK. Sensors, 22, 3772. doi: 10.3390/s22103772 Journal - Research Article
Yong, C. Z., Odolinski, R., Zaminpardaz, S., Moore, M., Rubinov, E., Er, J., & Denham, M. (2021). Instantaneous, dual-frequency, multi-GNSS precise RTK positioning using Google Pixel 4 and Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphones for zero and short baselines. Sensors, 21(24), 8318. doi: 10.3390/s21248318 Journal - Research Article
Yong, C. Z., Denys, P. H., & Pearson, C. F. (2019). Groundwater extraction-induced land subsidence: A geodetic strain rate study in Kelantan, Malaysia. Journal of Spatial Science, 64(2), 275-286. doi: 10.1080/14498596.2018.1429329 Journal - Research Article