Hidden Ocean Methane PNAS Study | Global Warming Risk
University of Rochester PNAS study reveals phosphate scarcity drives methane production in oxygen-rich oceans, creating a warming feedback loop that could double emissions by 2300.
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Thomas Weber is an Associate Professor and Graduate Studies Director in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Rochester. He earned his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. His research focuses on ocean biogeochemical cycles, including the biological pump that sequesters carbon in the deep ocean, nitrogen cycling, trace metal micronutrients, and the response of marine ecosystems to climate change. Weber employs numerical models informed by observational data to study processes such as plankton ecology, nutrient limitation, and organic particle respiration in low-oxygen environments. He has expanded his work to examine trace elements like iron, zinc, and cadmium through collaborations with programs such as GEOTRACES, as well as the controls on organic carbon export and sequestration using data from underwater visual profilers.
Weber’s selected publications include co-authored works in high-impact journals such as Nature (2010 and 2012), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2014 and in press), Science (2014), and Annual Review of Marine Science (2012). These address topics including oceanic nitrogen reservoirs, nutrient ratios, North Pacific anoxia, and deep ocean nutrient gradients. He teaches courses on ocean biogeochemistry and marine ecosystem and carbon cycle modeling.
University of Rochester PNAS study reveals phosphate scarcity drives methane production in oxygen-rich oceans, creating a warming feedback loop that could double emissions by 2300.