EEAS faculty, postdoctoral scholars and students conduct research in four broad areas: Chemistry of the Geosphere and Biosphere, Sustainability, Water and Weather and Climate Extremes. Please explore each faculty member’s 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’s 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). Surface-to-space atmospheric waves from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption. 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. 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. 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. Clim. Dyn., 53, 6835-6875.
  • Agel, L., Barlow, M., 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. Climate Dynamics, 52(3-4) 1739--1760.
  • Greaney, A., Rudnick, R., Ronaniello, S., Johnson, A., Gaschnig, R., Anbar, A. (2020). Molybdenum isotope fractionation in glacial diamictites tracks onset of oxidative weathering of the continental crust. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 534.
  • Gaschnig, R. (2019). Benefits of a multi-proxy approach to detrital mineral provenance analysis: an example from New England. Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Geosystems, 20 1557-1573.
  • Chen, K., Wang, Z., Tang, M., Rudnick, R., 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. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
  • Li, S., Junkin, W., Gaschnig, R., Ash, R., Piccoli, P., Candela, P., Rudnick, R. (). 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., Gaschnig, R., Wang, H., Wasylenki, L. (2019). Sulfide Weathering sustained methanogenesis during the Great Oxidation Event. Nature Geoscience, 12 296-300.
  • Kim, K.H., J.W. Heiss, H.A. Michael, W.J. Ullman, W-J Cai (2022), Seasonal and spatial production patterns of dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity in a shallow beach aquifer, Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 1–12
  • Cogswell, C., and J.W. Heiss (2021) Climate and seasonal temperature controls on biogeochemical transformations in unconfined coastal aquifers, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
  • Geng, X., J.W. Heiss, H.A. Michael, H. Li, B. Baubenheimer, M.C. Boufadel (2021), Geochemical fluxes in sandy beach aquifers: Modulation due to major physical stressors, geologic heterogeneity, and nearshore morphology, Earth-Science Reviews, 221(103800)
  • Kim, K.H, J.W. Heiss (2021), Methods in capturing the spatiotemporal dynamics of Flow and biogeochemical reactivity in sandy beach aquifers: A Review, Water, 13(6), 782
  • Geng, X., J.W. Heiss, H.A. Michael, M.C. Boufadel, K. Lee (2020), Groundwater flow and moisture dynamics in the swash zone: effects of heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity and capillarity, Water Resources Research, 2020WR028401
  • Heiss, J., Michael, H., Koneshloo, M. (2020). Denitrification hotspots in intertidal mixing zones linked to geologic heterogeneity. Environmental Research Letters.
  • Heiss, J.W., Michael, H.A., Puleo, J. (2020). Groundwater–surface water exchange in the intertidal zone detected by hydrologic and coastal oceanographic measurements. Hydrological Processes.
  • Kim, K.H., Heiss, J., Geng, X., Michael, H.A. (2020). Modeling hydrologic controls on particulate organic carbon contributions to beach aquifer biogeochemical reactivity. Water Resources Research, 1-17.
  • Heiss, J.W. (2020). Whale burial and organic matter impacts on biogeochemical cycling in beach aquifers and leachate fluxes to the nearshore zone. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology.
  • Wang T, Obrist D (2022). Inorganic and methylated mercury dynamics in estuarine water of a salt marsh in Massachusetts, USA. Environmental Pollution, 294, 118657.
  • Angot H, Rutkowski E, Sargent M, Wofsy SC, Hutyra LR, Howard D, Obrist D, Selin NE (2021). Atmospheric mercury sources in a coastal-urban environment: A case study in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts
  • Zhou J, Obrist D (2021). Global Mercury Assimilation by Vegetation. Environmental Science and Technology, 55, 20, 14245–14257.
  • Dastoor A., et al. Arctic mercury cycling. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, in press.
  • Obrist D, Roy EM, Harrison J, Kwong C, Munger JW, Moosmüller H, Romero C, Sun S, Zhou J, Commane R. Previously unaccounted atmospheric mercury deposition in a mid-latitude deciduous forest. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United State of America, 118, 29 e2105477118
  • Zhou J, Obrist D, Dastoor A, Jiskra M, Ryjkov A. Vegetation uptake of mercury and impacts on global cycling. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment. doi.org/10.1038/s43017-021-00146-y, 2021.
  • Liu H-L, Zhou J, Li M, 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. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 413, 125346, 2021.
  • Yang Y, Zhao Q, Dunham-Cheatham S, Adhikari D, Chen D, Poulson S, Patel A, Obrist D, Verburg P, Wang X, Roden E, Thompson A. Oxidation of Soil Organic Carbon during an Anaerobic-Aerobic Transition. Geoderma, Volume 377, 1, 114584, 2020.
  • Howard, D., Agnan, Y., Helmig, D., Yang, Y., Obrist, D. (2020). Environmental controls on ecosystem-scale cold season methane and carbon dioxide fluxes in an Arctic tundra ecosystem. Copernicus GmbH
  • Zhao, Q., Dunham-Cheatham, S., Adhikari, D., Chen, C., Patel, A., Poulson, S.R., 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. Geoderma,377 114584.
  • Dunham-Cheatham, S.M., Zhao, Q., Obrist, D., Yang, Y. (2020). Unexpected mechanism for glucose-primed soil organic carbon mineralization under an anaerobic–aerobic transition. Geoderma,376 114535.
  • Sun, S., Ma, M., He, X., 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. Environmental Science & Technology,54(10) 6043-6052.
  • Khan, T.R., 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. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts,21(10) 1699-1712.
  • Wang, S., McNamara, S.M., Moore, C.W., 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. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,116(29) 14479-14484.
  • Jiskra, M., Sonke, J.E., Agnan, Y., Helmig, D., Obrist, D. (2019). Insights from mercury stable isotopes on terrestrial-atmosphere exchange of Hg(0) in the Arctic tundra. Biogeosciences Discussions, 1-19.
  • Jiskra, M., Sonke, J.E., Agnan, Y., Helmig, D., Obrist, D. (2019). Insights from mercury stable isotopes on terrestrial–atmosphere exchange of Hg(0) in the Arctic tundra. Biogeosciences,16(20) 4051-4064.
  • Pearson, C., Howard, D., Moore, C., Obrist, D. (2019). Mercury and trace metal wet deposition across five stations in Alaska: controlling factors, spatial patterns, and source regions. 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., Obrist, D. (2019). Mercury emission from industrially contaminated soils in relation to chemical, microbial, and meteorological factors. Environmental Pollution,250 944-952.
  • Olson, C.L., Jiskra, M., Sonke, J.E., Obrist, D. (2019). Mercury in tundra vegetation of Alaska: Spatial and temporal dynamics and stable isotope patterns. Science of The Total Environment,660 1502-1512.
  • Rooney-Varga, J. N. (2021). Should the federal government assess a carbon fee on passenger air travel?The Boston Globe.
  • Moomaw, W., Sterman, J., Rooney-Varga, J. N., Birdsey, R. (2021). Baker is wrong to subsidize wood burning. 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. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 541.
  • Thompson, A.J., Skinner, C.B., Poulsen, C.J., Zhu, J. (2019). Modulation of mid‐Holocene African rainfall by dust aerosol direct and indirect effects. Geophysical Research Letters, 46.
  • Winsor, K., 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. Antarctic Science.
  • Winsor, K., 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. 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. Geomorphology, 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 – Biogeosciences. 127(1):e2021JG006568.
  • J.C. Turnbull, … 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’s 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 Niño–Southern 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–Julian 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., https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-018-4223-2
  • 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    
  • Mercury re-emission from industrially contaminated soils: the combined role of chemical, microbial, and meteorological factors.  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, Obrist D.  The Science of the Total Environment, 660,  1502-1512, 2019.
  • A Critical Time for Mercury Science to Inform Global Policy.  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, Wängberg I, Kyllönen K, Worthy D, Martin LG, Labuschagne C, Mkololo T, Ramonet M, Magand O, Dommergue A.  Nature Geoscience, 11, 244-250, 2018.
  • Mercury in arctic tundra snowpack: temporal and spatial concentration patterns and trace–gas exchanges.  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.  PLOS ONE. 2018;13(8):e0202877.
  • Does replacing coal with wood lower CO2 emissions? Dynamic lifecycle analysis of wood bioenergy.  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, Skinner CB, Poulsen CJ, Zhu J (2019) Geophysical Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081225.
  • Amplification of heat extremes by plant CO2 physiological forcing.Skinner CB, Poulsen CJ, Mankin JS (2018)  NatureCommunications, 9, doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03472-w.
  • 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.