I hope to find out more about water, the fundamental element for life
My research investigates the roles of atmospheric processes and vegetation feedbacks, and their implications for future climate change.
Current scope of research
Climate change is a long-term shift in the properties of our atmosphere. One of these properties is relative humidity. Relative humidity describes the amount of water vapour in the air, relative to the temperature of the air. Dry air has a low relative humidity, while fog has a high relative humidity. Observation data shows that relative humidity is decreasing globally over land since the year 2000, especially in regions of mid-latitudes.
My project will be exploring three possible causes, or drivers, for declining near surface relative humidity over land:
- Dynamical drivers, so called modes of variability (eg wind and pressure pattern)
- Thermodynamical drivers (temperature and, consequently, greenhouse gases)
- Land-based drivers (transpiration of plants and large-scale land cover changes, such as deforestation)
I am working with global monitoring products and earth observation data for land use, evapotranspiration and soil moisture. I will also be using computer simulations based on this data, and ecosystem studies. I hope to find out more about water, the fundamental element for life, and the representation of atmosphere-land exchange processes in climate models that predict the future.
This interdisciplinary research is carried out in collaboration with the Climate Monitoring and Attribution Group of the Met Office.
Academic background
MSc Biophysics, Bielefeld University, Germany
Thesis: "Influence of Disperse Systems on the Adsorption of Lipids on Plastic Surfaces"
BSc Physics, Bielefeld University, Germany
Thesis: "Persistence of Nanoparticles on Plant Surfaces"
Publications
GC41A-08 - Why is the atmosphere becoming drier? - An investigation of the role of dynamical drivers on recent trends in relative humidity (AGU Fall Meeting 2019)
Modeling Soil Water Dynamics and Pasture Growth in the Montado Ecosystem Using MOHID Land (2018)
Professional background
Research on "Passive acoustic monitoring of the ocean: data processing and bio-acoustic analysis" at Geoscience Ocean Laboratory, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Technopôle Brest- Iroise, Plouzané, France
Research on "Assessment of sustainability of sown pastures using remote sensing" at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, Portugal
Traineeship in Innovation/R&D at Miele & Cie. KG, Bielefeld, Germany
Awards
"Best Tutor Award" at the department of Experimental Physics for Research assistant, Bielefeld University, Germany
Teaching Experience
GEO271 - Human Geography Fieldclass, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield
GEO259 - Atmospheres and Oceans, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield
Research assistant at the Department of Experimental Physics, Bielefeld University, Germany
Supervisors
Dr Julie Jones, Department of Geography
Dr Rob Bryant, Department of Geography
Professor Colin Osborne, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences
Dr Kate Willet, UK Met Office Hadley Centre