Terrestrial Carbon Cycling and Climate

Climate and the carbon cycle are intimately intertwined, and recent human activity has added a further layer of complexity to the relationship between these two components of the Earth system. In addition to well-documented changes in the inventory of carbon stored in different reservoirs, it is likely that the dynamics of carbon exchange between reservoirs also varies with climate. Examples include storage times of carbon in soils and other terrestrial drainage basin compartments, and the intensity and trajectory of currents that disperse sediments and associated carbon in the ocean. We are undertaking down-core investigations in continental margin settings to examine the temporal variability in terrestrial carbon supply to the oceans and in sediment redistribution processes in the context of past climate changes. 

On the smaller spatial scale of watersheds and coastal regions, we are also exploring impacts of anthropogenic activity on terrestrial organic carbon dynamics. Our investigations also extend beyond assessments of impacts of anthropogenic activity on the carbon cycle, and also include the study of organic contaminants and other processes of environmental concern linked to human perturbation of natural processes.