Arif Husain Ansari

Nitrogen biogeochemistry in a High Arctic glacial watershed: an investigation with isotopic tracers and solute chemistry
Supervisors: Professor Andy Hodson (University of Sheffield) and Dr Tim Heaton (NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, BGS)

This study is funded by the European Union – Marie Curie Action Plan, NSINK Project

Current research

Under this study Nitrogen flow path and its associated biogeochemical changes are monitored in a High Arctic glacial ecosystem (Midtre lovénbreen, Svalbard) to understand the nitrogen source and sink in this relatively pristine part of earth. And therefore seeks to understand the contribution of High Arctic ecosystems to the global nitrogen cycle and to predict the direction of changes in the ecosystem as a consequence of changing atmospheric input.

These goals are approached through solute chemistry and isotopic characterization (N, O, S) of snow, melt water and sediment samples. Chemical tracers and laboratory experiments will also be employed to elucidate the role of stream hyporheic zone (i.e. net adsorption or desorption of dissolved nitrogen) to the dissolved nitrogen flux within the streams.

Research interests

• Aquatic Biogeochemistry
• Stable Isotopes

Published abstract

• Ansari, A.H., Hodson, A.J., Heaton, T.H.E. and Marca-Bell, A. (2010). Contribution of biological domain to nitrogen biogeochemical cycling in a high Arctic glacial ecosystem. AGU fall meeting

Career background

• BSc in Botany, Chemistry, Zoology (2004), Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, India
• MSc in Environmental Sciences (2006) Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
• Junior Research Fellow (2006-2008), National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR), Goa, India

Past research

• Analysis of the impact of Ultrasonic Radiation on Bacterial Population in Wastewater (MSc Thesis)
• Nitrogen fixation in Arabian Sea

Conferences & presentations

• Poster presentation Isotopic characterization of nitrogen provenances and fate in High Arctic catchments at Glaciogeomicrobiology conference 2009, University of Bristol, UK
• Poster presentation Contribution of biological domain to nitrogen biogeochemical cycling in a high Arctic glacial ecosystem at AGU fall meeting 2010, San Francisco, USA

Contact Details

Address: Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
Fax: +44 (0)114 222 7907
Email: a.h.ansari@sheffield.ac.uk