Life Sciences Seminar: What Can Atmospheric Oxygen Tell Us About the Carbon Cycle and the Climate Crisis?
Life Sciences Seminar
What Can Atmospheric Oxygen Tell Us About the Carbon Cycle and the Climate Crisis?
Dr. Andrew Manning
Visiting Professor
Department of Science and Mathematics, NTID
Rochester Institute of Technology
Abstract:
High-precision atmospheric oxygen (O2) measurements were initiated in the early 1990s to quantify the global land and ocean carbon sinks. For many decades, these two sinks have combined to take up almost half of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, significantly slowing down present-day climate change. But quantitative partitioning of the two carbon sinks, monitoring their interannual variability and trends, and predicting their future behavior has proven challenging, resulting in significant uncertainty in all climate projections. Measuring atmospheric O2 is a powerful tool to provide insight into carbon cycle dynamics, including land/ocean sink partitioning. Subsequently, atmospheric O2 data have been used in a myriad of other Earth system applications. In this seminar, I will discuss the progress, developments and insights we have learnt using atmospheric O2 over the last few decades, as well as mention some adventures I’ve had in exotic fieldwork locations.
Intended Audience:
Beginners, undergraduates, graduates. Those with interest in the topic.
To request an interpreter, please visit myaccess.rit.edu
Event Snapshot
When and Where
Who
This is an RIT Only Event
Interpreter Requested?
No