Our research focuses on the biogeochemistry of dissolved organic matter – a complex mixture of organic molecules deriving from fresh biomass, detritus, charred residues, and anthropogenic sources. Since dissolved organic matter is mobilized by water and is comprised of 50% carbon by mass, it plays an integral role in connecting terrestrial and oceanic carbon reservoirs and in regulating ecosystem structure and function. We specialize in the study of black carbon, the thermogenic fraction of organic matter that has a condensed aromatic molecular structure, is biologically inert, and persists in the environment for millennia. Our research program combines different geochemical techniques to constrain the role of dissolved organic matter and black carbon in a modern Earth system that is altered by wildfire, anthropogenic activity, and continued climate change.
