Welcome from Joe Galewsky
Stable isotopes have been used in hydrology since the late 1950s and early 1960s. Until recently, such studies were restricted primarily to investigations of the isotopic composition of precipitation, which integrate the history of the atmospheric hydrologic cycle from evaporation to surface precipitation. Recent developments in the study of the isotopic composition of atmospheric water vapor can provide unique constraints on how water is transported, mixed, and changes phase in the atmosphere. The analysis of the stable isotopic composition of water vapor is thus a useful tool in the study of the Earth's hydrologic cycle, and for improved understanding of paleoclimate proxies.
Our research leverages these recent advances in the analysis of water vapor isotopic composition to develop improved understanding of the atmospheric branch of Earth’s hydrologic cycle, its role in global climate dynamics, and its links and feedbacks with the Earth’s surface. Our work emphasizes a balance between field, laboratory, and computational approaches.
We have several fully-funded positions for graduate students at the M.S. and Ph.D. level to begin in the Fall of 2020. Students joining our group will have opportunities for field work and will receive training in the use of state-of-the-art water vapor analysis methods, including isotope analyzers and numerical weather and climate models. Please contact Joe Galewsky for further details!