Woodwell Climate Research Center

Meet Science On The Fly’s Andrea “Andie” Norton! Andie is an ecologist studying the world’s changing rivers. She examines patterns in temperature and nutrients to assess the response of watersheds to climate change, and to build a record of how river environments are changing that could help flag emerging threats, predict future changes, and develop strategies for successful management. So who’s the person behind the data? Learn more by reading last year’s SOTF interview with Andie. https://lnkd.in/e9-vsphC

Machine learning, hotspots from space, and char in soil – check out the latest #ClimateScience from Woodwell researchers: ??? Seen from space—hotspots of Arctic change: https://bit.ly/41t7FNk ??? Temperature has less impact on land carbon uptake in a warmer, drier climate: https://bit.ly/41dUrCD ?? Examining Amazon forest stability over 20 years with satellite data: https://bit.ly/436zso1 ?? Wildfires are affecting Arctic-boreal carbon uptake, reducing carbon sink: https://bit.ly/41w7CAp ?? Measuring char in soil, quantifying a long-lasting type of carbon: https://bit.ly/3D3syW3 ?? Community-supported open science for generating critical soil data: https://bit.ly/4bfghug ?? Guidelines are needed for field dataset choices to evaluate models: https://bit.ly/4h03blE

What can the soil tell us about the climate? With soil spectroscopy, Woodwell Climate scientists are unlocking the secrets of soil and spearheading soil carbon sequestration as a natural climate solution. The principles of soil spectroscopy are based in nuclear physics. Soil scientists use a device that fires infrared energy. When energy hits a soil sample, some is bounced back and some is absorbed. The reflected wavelengths give scientists clues to which minerals and elements are present in the soil and in what quantities. The spectrophotometer also saves researchers time and money. “A lab needs easily $2 million worth of instruments to be able to make all the same measurements using traditional methods,” says Woodwell Climate’s Dr. Jon Sanderman. “The speed and cost of spectroscopy are unmatched.” Read more about soil spectroscopy as a tool for climate research. https://lnkd.in/eent6Dqr

Here’s our upcoming event schedule, just for you. Bookmark this post and stay tuned for more events all year long. Check the link in our bio for more information. ??? Mar 13, 1pm ET - Webinar: Landslide Risk in a Changing Climate https://lnkd.in/eZHtNZ3J This webinar is co-hosted by Arctic T-SLIP and the Permafrost Discovery Gateway ??? Mar 19, 11-12pm ET - Webinar: Navigating Federal Policy with Woodwell Climate https://lnkd.in/epw5G963 Learn how Woodwell is continuing to leverage our research and engage federal policymakers to protect and promote programs vital to climate adaptation and mitigation. ??? Mar 19, 5pm ET - Woodwell Climate Conversations: Planetwalker https://lnkd.in/eFpyUTDw A documentary screening and Q & A with John Francis

Remember Research Assistant Zo? Dietrich’s carbon-monitoring chambers? She’s now sharing her work with the broader scientific community in hopes of encouraging others to build their own versions. “The goal of this project is to be low cost and more accessible to a broader subset of researchers,” says Dietrich. “The chambers are autonomous so it's accessible to places and times that aren't otherwise being sampled right now.” Read more about how Dietrich’s designs are breaking down barriers to climate research at the link in our bio. https://lnkd.in/e6weA_Ed

"We wanted to develop the most current and comprehensive picture of carbon in the north, and to do that, we knew we needed to account for fire’s growing carbon footprint in this region,” said Dr. Anna Virkkala, a research scientist at the Permafrost Pathways initiative at Woodwell Climate Research Center.

We were honored to welcome legendary explorer and mountaineer Conrad Anker to our campus this week to learn more about our work and to discuss what we can do together to make a difference. Our journey with Conrad dates back to 2018 when we first met him at Mountainfilm, where we proudly joined as a non-profit partner. That initial encounter, where our President, R. Max Holmes connected with Conrad has transformed into an inspiring collaboration. They both share a powerful vision from different backgrounds: to tackle the urgent challenges posed by the climate crisis. Conrad has ventured into places that few will ever experience. His personal experiences align with our research, confirming that climate change is a universal issue affecting every community. Across our Center, we partner with those who know places best and are in a position to put our insights into action. We’re excited to combine science and story to continue our crucial work for impact, together.

Woodwell Climate’s Research Assistant Zo? Dietrich builds her own carbon-monitoring chambers. These low-cost, autonomous, solar-powered chambers are designed to float on water and measure carbon moving in and out of the atmosphere in the Arctic and the Amazon. Read a behind-the-scenes look at how some of our research gets done - straight from a Woodwell scientist. https://lnkd.in/eQ5yPixX

Woodwell researchers use LiDAR, a tool that combines powerful data with gorgeous imagery, to unlock the carbon secrets of vast landscapes. “It’s effectively three dimensional pointillism,” says Woodwell Climate Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Wayne Walker, who has been using LiDAR in his studies for 25 years. Far more detailed than an oil painting however, a LiDAR model can reconstruct nearly every leaf, twig, and anthill in an area. This laser-based remote sensing technology is one of the most powerful tools we have for studying landscapes. Learn more about this tool https://lnkd.in/gfKyeW_H (?? : Dr. Manoela S Machado)

Woodwell Climate’s mission is clear - Science For Solutions. Right now, our researchers are gearing up to head back into the field to gather critical data that we use to build solutions - solutions that are urgently needed to propel us toward a more equitable, healthy, and sustainable world. But, what does climate science actually look like? For the next two weeks, we’ll show you a behind-the-scenes look at the tools we use in the field and in the lab to measure carbon and generate insight to help curb climate change. Join us in our mission https://lnkd.in/esKKAvFT