University of Colorado, Climate Processes Research Group

Our research seeks to better understand large-scale climate variability and change, and specifically the role played by atmospheric circulation and water. Because water is such an important part of the climate system (linked to clouds and radiative budgets, surface water resources, heat exchange, and the function of the terrestrial biosphere), understanding the controls on the movement of water and its role in helping determine the climate state is of clear importance.

A novel aspect of our research is the use of stable water isotopes. Because of the integrative nature of water and its stable isotopes, this work is inherently interdisciplinary and has led me to work with colleagues in a wide range of fields including paleoclimatology, biogeochemistry, glaciology, atmospheric chemistry, plant physiology and ecology, and more traditional atmospheric sciences. Or work includes using advanced computer models of the atmosphere and climate system, satellite remote sensing, field measurements and laboratory experiments.

We use Picarro instruments both for gas concentration measurements of the major greenhouse gases and for in situ water isotope measurements from ambient water vapors. One of our regular locations for research is the summit of Mauna Loa, a barren, windswept 14,000-foot active volcano in the Hawaiian Islands that is one of the best places on Earth for atmospheric observations. Because we perform measurements in remote environments with harsh changes in temperature and weather, we need systems that can handle dynamic conditions and that we can rely on to operate autonomously for long periods of time without requiring that a set of hands touch the system. Picarro instruments provided us with this stability and reliability, as well as the capability to withstand harsh conditions for long periods of time while delivering exceptional quality data. 

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