Interactions between the atmosphere, the ocean, and the biosphere generate and maintain the conditions at the Earth’s surface that make it suitable for life. These processes can be strongly influenced by anthropogenic forces, and research into how they respond to human influences is an important focus of our work. This is particularly important in light of ongoing climate change, the loss of biological diversity, and other environmental challenges.
We have focal areas in climate change, climate history, coastal marine geology, marine biogeochemistry, geomorphology, carbon cycle science, global change biology, hydrology, and land cover/land use change.
Faculty with Related Research
Earth Surface Dynamics and Climate
- Rachel E. Abercrombie – earthquake seismology and rupture process
- Lawford Anderson – mineralogy, thermobarometry, igneous petrology, tectonics
- Sergio Fagherazzi – coastal geomorphology, surface processes, hydrology
- Duncan M. FitzGerald – marine geology, coastal processes, sedimentology
- Andrew C. Kurtz – trace element and isotope geochemistry, Earth surface processes, biogeochemical cycles
- Dan Li – urban microclimate, boundary layer meteorology, environmental fluid mechanics
- Guido Salvucci – hydrology, hydroclimatology, remote sensing
- Zoe Hughes – hydro- and sediment dynamics, coastal geomorphology, coastal wetlands
- Richard Becker – structural geology, glacial geomorphology, and Ice Age climate change
Marine Ecology, Biogeochemistry, Physics, and Climate
- Robinson W. Fulweiler – marine biogeochemistry, ecology, climate and coastal ecosystems
- Alyssa Novak – coastal ecology, marine ecosystems
- Xiaozhou Ruan – physical oceanography
Ecology, Nutrient Cycling, and Climate
- Bruce Anderson – global and regional climate variability and change
- Michael Dietze – terrestrial carbon cycle, ecological forecasting, data assimilation, nature-based climate solutions
- Lucy Hutyra – carbon cycle, urban heat islands, solar induced fluorescence
- Curtis Woodcock – remote sensing, particularly monitoring of environmental change, terrestrial carbon dynamics