Heat and mass transfer between the biosphere and atmosphere have important consequences for the climate system, ecosystems, natural resources, and human health. These researchers use micrometeorological and boundary-layer theory, models, and measurements to improve their understanding of the biophysical processes and feedback mechanisms that control heat and mass transfer at the Earth-atmosphere interface. They are particularly interested in the processes occuring within the atmospheric boundary layer (the lower 1 to 2 km of the troposphere).
The group's current emphasis involves the combination of micrometeorological observations and models to answer important questions related to carbon, water, and nitrogen cycling at spatial scales ranging from whole plants growing in a large climate-controlled mesocosm to a complex heterogeneous landscape based on tall tower boundary layer observations.
The researchers are working toward developing better regional budget estimates of water, carbon, and nitrogen by using tall tower observations and models such as WRF-STILT, WRF-CHEM, CLM, and the Energy Exascale Earth System Land Model (ELM). Field research is conducted at sites in the United States, Amazonia Peru, and agricultural landscapes in the Yangtze River Delta region of China.
This research was featured on the MSI website in:
- July 2023: Modeling Greenhouse Gases in a Tropical Peatland
- October 2017: Nitrous Oxide Emissions Affected by Climate Change
- August 2015: Measuring Nitrous Oxide Emissions.