Dr. Dan Breecker is awarded an NSF Earth Science Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the University of Arizona. Dr. Breecker will determine the concentration of CO2 during the precipitation of carbonate minerals in soils. The research goals will be accomplished by measuring CO2 concentrations, carbon isotopes, moisture and temperature in soils from different regions in Arizona, New Mexico, and Kansas; these soils have developed under different climate and vegetation conditions. These results will be used to calculate atmospheric CO2 concentrations in modern settings as well as to reconstruct paleoclimate models. This investigation will also provide information on how much CO2 soils can store in soils and it will contribute to the overall understanding of carbon cycle.
In addition, Dr. Breecker will interact with high schools students by giving lectures on CO2 in the atmosphere and its role in the carbon cycle, engaging volunteer students in monitoring sampling sites, and assisting with science fair projects.
