Dissolved Gases as Tracers of Chemical, Biological, and Physical Processes in the Environment

Abstract:
The atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are increasing due to human activities, causing climate change and warming on a global scale. In order to predict future atmospheric levels of these climate-active gases, we must understand the chemical, biological, and physical processes that affect their production and consumption and their exchange between different components of the Earth system. I will present case studies from my past and current research showing how concentration and isotopic measurements of inert gases and chemically/biologially reactive gases can provide insight into a suite of critical environmental processes. From the seasonality of greenhouse gas emissions in the coastal Arctic Ocean, to the rates of marine photosynthesis and respiration, I will highlight how new field-deployable methods for gas analysis are enabling novel approaches to understand complex environmental processes.