One of the unique aspects of atmospheric science is the interaction of processes occurring at vastly different spatial and temporal scales. For example, fluxes of greenhouse gasses emitted from permafrost soils in the Arctic occur at very small scales. Such flux measurements must be recorded at very high frequencies (at least 10 times per second!), but they can affect the climate and weather of the entire Eearth for many decades after they have occurred. High-quality measurements are required to quantify such micro-scale greenhouse gas fluxes. In addition, accurate measurements are needed to monitor large-scale global climate and also atmospheric phenomena occurring at intermediate scales, such as thunderstorms.

The goal of my research is to develop and use accurate and representative measurements to better describe processes, trends, and variability in the atmosphere at many of these different scales. This work has been used to help create more accurate water budgets, which are needed by hydrologists and watershed managers. It is also used to create more accurate models of the atmosphere and better understand the role of ecosystems in the Earth’s carbon and water budgets.