EEAS faculty, postdoctoral scholars and students conduct research in four broad areas:聽Chemistry of the Geosphere and Biosphere, Sustainability, Water and Weather and Climate Extremes. Please explore each faculty member鈥檚 research page to learn more.

Chemistry of the Geosphere and Biosphere

Research examines the biological, geological, physical and chemical processes that govern the composition of the natural environment and the cycles of matter and energy on Earth鈥檚 crust.

Sustainability

Research examines ways to catalyze and support evidence-based transitions to a sustainable society by making global change and solutions-oriented science accessible and actionable for decision-makers.

Water

Research examines the processes that influence water movement, water quality and water availability for people and ecosystems.

Weather and Climate Extremes

Research explores the physical processes that drive weather and climate extremes in the current and changing climate, to improve their predictability and help prepare for the associated impacts.

  • Wright, C.J., Hindley, N.P., Alexander, M.J., Barlow, M., Hoffmann, L., Mitchell, C., Prata, F., Bouillon, M., Carstens, J., Clerbaux, C., Osprey, S.M., Powell, N., Randall, C.E., & J. Yue. (2022).听.听Nature, in press.
  • Cohen, J., Agel, L., Barlow, M., Garfinkel, C.I. and White, I. (2021). Linking Arctic variability and change with extreme winter weather in the United States.听Science, 373, 1116-1121.
  • Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R. P. Allan, P. A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T. Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, O. Zolina. (2021). Water Cycle Changes. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, et al. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press. In Press.
  • Agel, L., M. Barlow, C. Skinner, F. Colby, and J. Cohen. (2021). Four Distinct Northeast US Heat Wave Circulation Patterns and Associated Mechanisms, Trends, and Electric Usage.听npj Clim Atmos Sci, 4, 31.
  • Barlow, M., W.J. Gutowski, J.R. Gyakum, R.W. Katz, Y.K. Lim, R.S. Schumacher, M.F. Wehner, L. Agel, M. Bosilovich, A. Collow, and A. Gershunov. (2019). North American extreme precipitation events and related large-scale meteorological patterns: a review of statistical methods, dynamics, modeling, and trends.听Clim. Dyn., 53, 6835-6875.
  • Agel, L., Barlow, M.,听Colby, F.P., Binder, H., Catto, J.L., Hoell, A., Cohen, J. (2019). Dynamical analysis of extreme precipitation in the US northeast based on large-scale meteorological patterns.听Climate Dynamics,听52(3-4) 1739--1760.
  • Greaney, A., Rudnick, R., Ronaniello, S., Johnson, A.,听Gaschnig, R., Anbar, A. (2020). Molybdenum isotope fractionation in glacial diamictites tracks onset of oxidative weathering of the continental crust.听Earth and Planetary Science Letters,听534.
  • Gaschnig, R.聽(2019). Benefits of a multi-proxy approach to detrital mineral provenance analysis: an example from New England.听Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Geosystems,听20听1557-1573.
  • Chen, K., Wang, Z., Tang, M., Rudnick, R.,听Gaschnig, R., Zou, Z., He, T., Hu, Z., Liu, Y. (). How mafic was the Archean upper continental crust? Insights from Cu and Ag in ancient glacial diamictites.听Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
  • Li, S., Junkin, W.,听Gaschnig, R., Ash, R., Piccoli, P., Candela, P., Rudnick, R. ().听Molybdenum contents of sulfides in ancient glacial diamictites: implications for molybdenum delivery to the oceans prior to the Great Oxidation Event. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
  • Wang, S., Rudnick, R.,听Gaschnig, R., Wang, H., Wasylenki, L. (2019). Sulfide Weathering sustained methanogenesis during the Great Oxidation Event.听Nature Geoscience,听12听296-300.
  • Kim, K.H.,听J.W. Heiss, H.A. Michael, W.J. Ullman, W-J Cai (2022),听,听Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 1鈥�12
  • Cogswell, C., and聽J.W. Heiss聽(2021)聽,听Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
  • Geng, X.,听J.W. Heiss, H.A. Michael, H. Li, B. Baubenheimer, M.C. Boufadel (2021),听,听Earth-Science Reviews, 221(103800)
  • Kim, K.H,听J.W. Heiss聽(2021),听,听Water,聽13(6), 782
  • Geng, X.,听J.W. Heiss, H.A. Michael, M.C. Boufadel, K. Lee (2020),听,听Water Resources Research, 2020WR028401
  • Heiss, J., Michael, H., Koneshloo, M. (2020). Denitrification hotspots in intertidal mixing zones linked to geologic heterogeneity.听Environmental Research Letters.
  • Heiss, J.W., Michael, H.A., Puleo, J. (2020). Groundwater鈥搒urface water exchange in the intertidal zone detected by hydrologic and coastal oceanographic measurements.听Hydrological Processes.
  • Kim, K.H.,听Heiss, J., Geng, X., Michael, H.A. (2020). Modeling hydrologic controls on particulate organic carbon contributions to beach aquifer biogeochemical reactivity.听Water Resources Research,听1-17.
  • Heiss, J.W.听(2020). Whale burial and organic matter impacts on biogeochemical cycling in beach aquifers and leachate fluxes to the nearshore zone.听Journal of Contaminant Hydrology.
  • Wang T,听Obrist D聽(2022). Inorganic and methylated mercury dynamics in estuarine water of a salt marsh in Massachusetts, USA.听Environmental Pollution, 294, 118657.
  • Angot H, Rutkowski E, Sargent M, Wofsy SC, Hutyra LR, Howard D,听Obrist D, Selin NE (2021).听.听Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts
  • Zhou J,听Obrist D聽(2021). Global Mercury Assimilation by Vegetation.听Environmental Science and Technology, 55, 20, 14245鈥�14257.
  • Dastoor A., et al. Arctic mercury cycling.听Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, in press.
  • Obrist D, Roy EM, Harrison J, Kwong C, Munger JW, Moosm眉ller H, Romero C, Sun S, Zhou J, Commane R. Previously unaccounted atmospheric mercury deposition in a mid-latitude deciduous forest.听Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United State of America, 118, 29 e2105477118
  • Zhou J,听Obrist D, Dastoor A, Jiskra M, Ryjkov A. Vegetation uptake of mercury and impacts on global cycling.听Nature Reviews Earth and Environment. doi.org/10.1038/s43017-021-00146-y, 2021.
  • Liu H-L, Zhou J, Li M,听Obrist D, Wang X-Z, J Zhou. Chemical speciation of trace metals in atmospheric deposition and impacts on soil geochemistry and vegetable bioaccumulation near a large copper smelter in China.听Journal of Hazardous Materials, 413, 125346, 2021.
  • Yang Y, Zhao Q, Dunham-Cheatham S, Adhikari D, Chen D, Poulson S, Patel A,听Obrist D, Verburg P, Wang X, Roden E, Thompson A. Oxidation of Soil Organic Carbon during an Anaerobic-Aerobic Transition.听Geoderma, Volume 377, 1, 114584, 2020.
  • Howard, D., Agnan, Y., Helmig, D., Yang, Y.,听Obrist, D.听(2020). Environmental controls on ecosystem-scale cold season methane and carbon dioxide fluxes in an Arctic tundra ecosystem.听Copernicus GmbH
  • Zhao, Q., Dunham-Cheatham, S., Adhikari, D., Chen, C., Patel, A., Poulson, S.R.,听Obrist, D., Verburg, P.S., Wang, X., Roden, E.R., Thompson, A., Yang, Y. (2020). Oxidation of soil organic carbon during an anoxic-oxic transition.听Geoderma,377听114584.
  • Dunham-Cheatham, S.M., Zhao, Q.,听Obrist, D., Yang, Y. (2020). Unexpected mechanism for glucose-primed soil organic carbon mineralization under an anaerobic鈥揳erobic transition.听Geoderma,376听114535.
  • Sun, S., Ma, M., He, X.,听Obrist, D., Zhang, Q., Yin, X., Sun, T., Huang, J., Guo, J., Kang, S., Qin, D. (2020). Vegetation Mediated Mercury Flux and Atmospheric Mercury in the Alpine Permafrost Region of the Central Tibetan Plateau.听Environmental Science & Technology,54(10) 6043-6052.
  • Khan, T.R.,听Obrist, D., Agnan, Y., Selin, N.E., Perlinger, J.A. (2019). Atmosphere-terrestrial exchange of gaseous elemental mercury: parameterization improvement through direct comparison with measured ecosystem fluxes.听Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts,21(10) 1699-1712.
  • Wang, S., McNamara, S.M., Moore, C.W.,听Obrist, D., Steffen, A., Shepson, P.B., Staebler, R.M., Raso, A.R., Pratt, K.A. (2019). Direct detection of atmospheric atomic bromine leading to mercury and ozone depletion.听Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,116(29) 14479-14484.
  • Jiskra, M., Sonke, J.E., Agnan, Y., Helmig, D.,听Obrist, D.听(2019). Insights from mercury stable isotopes on terrestrial-atmosphere exchange of Hg(0) in the Arctic tundra.听Biogeosciences Discussions,听1-19.
  • Jiskra, M., Sonke, J.E., Agnan, Y., Helmig, D.,听Obrist, D.听(2019). Insights from mercury stable isotopes on terrestrial鈥揳tmosphere exchange of Hg(0) in the Arctic tundra.听Biogeosciences,16(20) 4051-4064.
  • Pearson, C., Howard, D., Moore, C.,听Obrist, D.听(2019). Mercury and trace metal wet deposition across five stations in Alaska: controlling factors, spatial patterns, and source regions.听Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics,19(10) 6913-6929.
  • Osterwalder, S., Huang, J., Shetaya, W.H., Agnan, Y., Frossard, A., Frey, B., Alewell, C., Kretzschmar, R., Biester, H.,听Obrist, D.听(2019). Mercury emission from industrially contaminated soils in relation to chemical, microbial, and meteorological factors.听Environmental Pollution,250听944-952.
  • Olson, C.L., Jiskra, M., Sonke, J.E.,听Obrist, D.听(2019). Mercury in tundra vegetation of Alaska: Spatial and temporal dynamics and stable isotope patterns.听Science of The Total Environment,660听1502-1512.
  • Rooney-Varga, J. N.听(2021).听The Boston Globe.
  • Moomaw, W., Sterman, J.,听Rooney-Varga, J. N., Birdsey, R. (2021).听.听Commonwealth Magazine.
  • Christopher, S.B., Lora, J.M., Payne, A.E., Poulsen, C.J. (2020). Atmospheric river changes shaped mid-latitude hydroclimate since the mid-Holocene.听Earth and Planetary Science Letters,听541.
  • Thompson, A.J.,听Skinner, C.B., Poulsen, C.J., Zhu, J. (2019). Modulation of mid鈥怘olocene African rainfall by dust aerosol direct and indirect effects.听Geophysical Research Letters,听46.
  • Winsor, K.,听Swanger, K.M., Babcock, E.L., Dickson, J.L., Valletta, R.D., Schmidt, D. (2020). Origin, structure and geochemistry of a rock glacier near Don Juan Pond, Wright Valley, Antarctica.听Antarctic Science.
  • Winsor, K.,听Swanger, K.M., Babcock, E., Valletta, R., Dickson, J. (2020). Rock glacier characteristics serve as an indirect record of multiple alpine glacier advances in Taylor Valley, Antarctica.听Cryosphere.
  • Swanger, K.M., Babcock, E., Winsor, K., Valletta, R.D. (2019). Rock glaciers in Pearse Valley, Antarctic record outlet and alpine glacier advance from MIS 5 through the Holocene.听Geomorphology,听336.
  • Winbourne, J.B. I. Smith, H. Stoynova, C. Kohler, C. Gately, B.A. Logan, J. Reblin, A. Reinmann, D.W. Allen, & L.R. Hutyra. (2021). Quantification of urban forest and grassland carbon fluxes using field measurements and a satellite-based model in Washington DC/Baltimore area. Journal of Geophysical Research 鈥� Biogeosciences. 127(1):e2021JG006568.
  • J.C. Turnbull, 鈥� J.B. Winbourne et al. 2021. IG3IS Urban Greenhouse Gas Emissions Observation and Monitoring Best Research Practices. WMO GAW IG3IS Report (2021).
  • I.A. Smith, J.B. Winbourne, K. F. Tieskens, T.S. Jones, , F. Bromley, D. Li, and L. R. Hutyra. (2021). A satellite-based model for estimating latent heat flux from urban vegetation. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 9: 695995.
  • Soper, F.M., B. Taylor, J.B. Winbourne, K. Dynarski, M. Wong, C. Reis, M. Peoples, C. Cleveland, S. Reed, D. Menge, & S. Perakis. (2021). A roadmap for sampling and scaling biological nitrogen fixation in terrestrial ecosystems. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 12:1122-1137.
  • Winbourne, J.B., T.S. Jones, S. Garvey, J. Harrison, L. Wang, D. Li, P. Templer, and L.R. Hutyra. (2020) The mitigation of urban heat by trees: current understanding, implications and future directions. BioScience 70 (7): 576-588. Selected as Editor鈥檚 Choice and featured interview with BioScience Talks podcast.
  • Jones, T.S., J.B. Winbourne, and L. Hutyra. (2020) Ribbonized Sap Flux: An Integrated Sap Flow Sensor Platform. Ecosphere 11 (6): e03135.
  • Gravuer, K., A. Eskelinen, J.B. Winbourne, and S.P. Harrison. (2020) Vulnerability and resistance in the spatial heterogeneity of soil microbial communities under resource additions. Proceedings in the National Academy of Science 117 (13): 7263-7270.
  • Identification of large-scale meteorological patterns associated with extreme precipitation in the US Northeast. Agel, L., Barlow, M., Feldstein, S. B., & Gutowski, W. J., 2018: Clim. Dyn., 50 (5-6), 1819-1839.
  • More-persistent weak stratospheric polar vortex states linked to cold extremes. Kretschmer, M., D. Coumou, L. Agel, M. Barlow, E. Tziperman, J. Cohen, 2018: Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 99, 49-60.
  • Cold Season Southwest Asia Precipitation Sensitivity to El Ni帽o鈥揝outhern OscillationEvents. Hoell, A., M. Barlow, T. Xu, and T. Zhang, 2018. J. Climate, 31, 4463-4482.
  • Middle East and Southwest Asia Daily Precipitation Characteristics Associated with the Madden鈥揓ulian Oscillation during Boreal Winter. Hoell, A., F. Cannon, and M. Barlow, 2018. J. Climate, 31, 8843-8860.
  • Dynamical analysis of extreme precipitation in the US northeast based on large-scale meteorological patterns. Agel, L., M. Barlow, F. Colby, H. Binder, J. L. Catto, A. Hoell, and J. Cohen, 2019. Clim. Dyn.,
  • Petrology, geochemistry and geodynamic setting of Eocene-Oligocene alkaline intrusions from the Alborz-Azerbaijan magmatic belt, NW Iran. Ashrafi, N., Jahangiri, A., Hasebe, N., Eby,N. (2018) Chemie der Erde 78, 432-461.
  • Crustal residence of molybdenum. Greaney, A.T., Rudnick, R.L., Gaschnig, R.M., Whalen, J., Luais, B., and Clemens, J.D. (2018): Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 238, p. 36-54.
  • Temporal evolution of 182W in the upper continental crust. Mundl, A., Walker, R.J., Reimink, J.R., Rudnick, R.L., Gaschnig, R.M. (2018): Chemical Geology, v. 494, p. 144-152.
  • Variability in benthic exchange rate, depth, and residence time beneath a shallow coastal estuary Russoniello, C.J., J.W. Heiss, and H.A. Michael (2018), , Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans, doi.org/10.1002/2017JC013568聽聽聽聽
  • Mercury re-emission from industrially contaminated soils: the combined role of chemical, microbial, and meteorological factors. 聽Osterwalder S, Shetaya W, Frossard A, Huang J-H, Alewell C, Frey B, Agnan Y, Biester H, Kretzschmar R, Obrist D. Environmental Pollution, in press.
  • Mercury in tundra vegetation of Alaska: Spatial and temporal dynamics and stable isotope patterns. Olson CL, Jiskra M, Sonke JE,听Obrist D.听聽The Science of the Total Environment, 660, 聽1502-1512, 2019.
  • A Critical Time for Mercury Science to Inform Global Policy. 聽Chen C, Driscoll C, Eagles-Smith CA, Eckley CA, Gay DA, Hsu-Kim H, Keane S, Kirk J, Mason R, Obrist D, Selin H, Selin N, Thompson MR. Environmental Science and Technology, 52, 9556-9561, 2018.
  • Mercury in Arctic tundra soils of northern Alaska: concentrations, pools, origins, and spatial patterns. Olson C, Jiskra M, Biester H, Chow J, Obrist D. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 32, 7, 1058-107, 2018.
  • A vegetation control on seasonal variations in global atmospheric mercury. Jiskra M, Sonke JE, Obrist D, Bieser J, Ebinghaus R, Myhre CL, Pfaffhuber, KA, W盲ngberg I, Kyll枚nen K, Worthy D, Martin LG, Labuschagne C, Mkololo T, Ramonet M, Magand O, Dommergue A.听 Nature Geoscience, 11, 244-250, 2018.
  • Mercury in arctic tundra snowpack: temporal and spatial concentration patterns and trace鈥揼as exchanges. 聽Agnan Y, Douglas TA, Helmig D, Hueber J, Obrist D. The Cyosphere, 12, 1939-1956, 2018.
  • A review of global environmental mercury processes in response to human and natural perturbations: changes of emissions, climate and land use.Obrist D, Kirk J, Zhang L, Sunderland E, Jiskra M, Selin NE. Ambio, 47. 16-14, 2018.
  • Reply to comment on 'Does replacing coal with wood lower CO2 emissions? Sterman, J. D., Siegel, L., Rooney-Varga, J.N.. Dynamic lifecycle analysis of wood bioenergy.' Environ. Res. Lett. 13(12): 128003.
  • Combining role-play with interactive simulation to motivate informed climate action: Evidence from the World Climate simulation.Rooney-Varga J. N., J.D. Sterman, E. Fracassi, F. Kapmeier, V. Kurker, E. Johnston, A. P. Jones, K. Rath.听 PLOS ONE. 2018;13(8):e0202877.
  • Does replacing coal with wood lower CO2 emissions? Dynamic lifecycle analysis of wood bioenergy. 聽Sterman, J. D., Siegel, L., Rooney-Varga, J.N.. Environ. Res. Lett. 13(1): 015007. Featured Article; In the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric.
  • Modulation of mid-Holocene African rainfall by dust aerosol direct and indirect effects. Thompson AJ,听Skinner CB, Poulsen CJ, Zhu J (2019)聽Geophysical Research Letters,听.
  • Amplification of heat extremes by plant CO2 physiological forcing.Skinner CB, Poulsen CJ, Mankin JS (2018)聽聽NatureCommunications, 9,听.
  • Rock glaciers in Pearse Valley, Antarctic record outlet and alpine glacier advance from MIS 5 through the Holocene.Swanger, K.M.,Babcock, E.L., Winsor, K., Valletta, R.D., 2019. Geomorphology, accepted with minor revisions.
  • Quaternary development of a large rock glacier and its potential geochemical relationship with Don Juan Pond, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Winsor, K., Babcock, E.L., Swanger, K.M., Dickson, J.L., Valletta, R.D., Schmidt,D., 2017. Antarctic Science. Submitted.
  • The first study of coupled 3He/36Cl from pyroxenes: investigating the geomorphic causes of exposure age scatter in cold-based glacier deposits, Antarctica.Swanger, K.M., Winckler, G., Lamp, J.L. Schaefer, J.M., Schimmelpfennig, I., Quaternary Science. In revision.