Laboratory and Field Studies
(Murray, Hering, Drinkwater)

Processes at the land- and sea surfaces may both respond to and, in some instances, moderate long-term changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, global temperature, or hydrologic patterns. One possible consequence of global climate change that has received relatively little attention is the increase in the rate and intensity of desertification. The Murray group is collaborating with JPL and other institutions to develop the means to monitor, quantify, and forecast desertification processes in the arid Southwest. This effort combines remote sensing with ground-truthing of the extent of desertification and field studies of the processes by which soil fertility is degraded in desert regions. The significance of mineral weathering processes in soil formation is well-recognized but the response of weathering processes to global change and the possible role of mineral weathering in the transformation and preservation of organic carbon in soils has received attention only recently. Ongoing research efforts in the Hering group include laboratory studies of mineral weathering processes, particularly mineral dissolution under the influence of organic ligands; an extension of this work to include field studies is planned. Climate change simulations indicate that the largest response to a doubling of CO₂ in the atmosphere will be felt in the polar regions.

    Using a variety of contemporary remote sensing datasets, Dr. Drinkwater is studying polar sea-ice dynamics. By combining this information with massively-parallel ocean general circulation models, he is assessing the regulating impact that sea ice has upon surface exchanges of heat, salt, and freshwater. Throughout this project, microwave remote sensing serves as a vital element in the year-round collection of data over wide regions of the extreme northern and southern hemispheres, and in the understanding of polar participation in climate change.