Research

We are particularly interested in how the carbon cycle behaves under variable climate conditions. I plan to make decadal- to millennial- timescale measurements of atmospheric CO₂ in samples from different time periods. Several questions may be addressed: for example, (1) when did CO2 change relative to the abrupt climate changes (e.g, abrupt warming or cooling events recorded in Greenland ice cores), (2) what controlled atmospheric CO2 in different age intervals and on different time scales, and (3) what was CO2 level before 800 ka, which is the oldest age for CO2 records from ice cores. Especially, the last question may be answered with a newly planned Dome A core, which may provide ancient air older than 1 million years. 

East Asia, encompassing China, Korea, and Japan, contributes over 34% of the global emission budget of greenhouse gases and stands as one of the most polluted regions worldwide. However, the natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks in this area are less understood compared to other densely populated regions. Our research focuses on monitoring CO2 and CH4 levels in East Asia, as well as studying background levels in remote oceans to gain a comprehensive understanding. To achieve this, we will utilize state-of-the-art techniques to measure stable and radiogenic isotopologues of greenhouse gases, along with other short-lived chemicals, in order to enhance our comprehension of sink processes. Building upon these measurements and remote sensing data, we will employ atmospheric physical and chemical models to track the movement of gases. We anticipate that our discoveries will provide robust scientific insights and encourage more informed policy actions in East Asia, leading to a significant reduction in global emissions.