Breadcrumb

Bio
My research interests are broad, but all revolve around the use of environmental stable isotope ratios.
I established and operated the Stable Isotope Laboratory for the analysis of stable isotope ratios of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur. My specific areas of research include modeling the global carbon cycle using isotope ratios in atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane, development of techniques for measuring isotope ratios in atmospheric gases, reconstructions of paleo-environmental conditions using isotopes in ice cores, reconstructions of past environments from isotopes in organic materials, and tracing of ground water flow and recharge. I have been a member of several deep ice coring projects in Greenland (GISP2, NorthGRIP, and NEEM) and Antarctica (Siple Dome and Inland WAIS). I am also an affiliate of NOAA and work closely with the Carbon Cycle Group there.
Starting in the late 1980s, my ice core research has helped to show that large climate changes tend to occur in the natural system as abrupt and rapid shifts in mode probably driven by internal adjustments in the Earth climate system, rather than slow and gradual adjustments to changing external conditions, such as the amount of energy received from the sun. Shifts of more than 10˚C in mean temperature in less than a human lifetime are common in the paleoclimate record, and serve as a warning that adaptation to future climate changes may not be easy. My research in isotopes in the carbon cycle has also helped to show that land plants are capable of removing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, amounts that equal our input of CO2 from fossil fuel burning on short time scales. Such large changes in the uptake of CO2 by plants is a key piece in the puzzle we must solve to formulate workable policy on CO2 levels and climate change.
Education
- PhD: Columbia University, 1983
Awards
- Highly Cited Researcher (2016-2019), Web of Science Group, 2019
- Robert L. Stearns Award, CU Boulder Alumni Association, 2016
- Highly Cited Researcher, Thomson Reuters, 2014
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2014
- Highly Cited Researcher, ISI, 2001
Research
Research interests: global scale climate and environmental dynamics; carbon dioxide concentrations and climate from stable hydrogen isotopes, peats and other organics; climate from deuterium excess and hydrogen isotopes in ice cores; isotopes in general circulation models; modern carbon cycle dynamics via isotopes of carbon dioxide and methane.
Publications
Recent publications
Current Inventories of Methane Emissions
White JWC; Allen D; Amar PK; Bogner J; Bruhwiler L; Cooley D; Frankenberg C; George F; Hanle L; Hristov AH...
- White JWC
- Allen D
- Amar PK
- Bogner J
- Bruhwiler L
- Cooley D
- Frankenberg C
- George F
- Hanle L
- Hristov AH
Type: Chapter
Addressing Uncertainties in Anthropogenic Methane Emissions
White JWC; Allen D; Amar PK; Bogner J; Bruhwiler L; Cooley D; Frankenberg C; George F; Hanle L; Hristov AH...
- White JWC
- Allen D
- Amar PK
- Bogner J
- Bruhwiler L
- Cooley D
- Frankenberg C
- George F
- Hanle L
- Hristov AH
Type: Chapter
Meeting the Challenges of Characterizing Methane Emissions
White JWC; Allen D; Amar PK; Bogner J; Bruhwiler L; Cooley D; Frankenberg C; George F; Hanle L; Hristov AH...
- White JWC
- Allen D
- Amar PK
- Bogner J
- Bruhwiler L
- Cooley D
- Frankenberg C
- George F
- Hanle L
- Hristov AH
Type: Chapter
Improving Characterization of Anthropogenic Methane Emissions in the United States Introduction
White JWC; Allen D; Amar PK; Bogner J; Bruhwiler L; Cooley D; Frankenberg C; George F; Hanle L; Hristov AH...
- White JWC
- Allen D
- Amar PK
- Bogner J
- Bruhwiler L
- Cooley D
- Frankenberg C
- George F
- Hanle L
- Hristov AH
Type: Book
Compiled records of carbon isotopes in atmospheric CO2 for historical simulations in CMIP6
Graven H; Allison CE; Etheridge DM; Hammer S; Keeling RF; Levin I; Meijer HAJ; Rubino M; Tans PP; Trudinger CM...
- Graven H
- Allison CE
- Etheridge DM
- Hammer S
- Keeling RF
- Levin I
- Meijer HAJ
- Rubino M
- Tans PP
- Trudinger CM
Publication Date: 2017-12-05
Type: Journal Article
Carbon monoxide isotopic measurements in Indianapolis constrain urban source isotopic signatures and support mobile fossil fuel emissions as the dominant wintertime CO source
Vimont IJ; Turnbull JC; Petrenko VV; Place PF; Karion A; Miles NL; Richardson SJ; Gurney K; Patarasuk R; Sweeney C...
- Vimont IJ
- Turnbull JC
- Petrenko VV
- Place PF
- Karion A
- Miles NL
- Richardson SJ
- Gurney K
- Patarasuk R
- Sweeney C
Publication Date: 2017-11-07
Type: Journal Article
Data Descriptor: A global multiproxy database for temperature reconstructions of the Common Era
Emile-Geay J; McKay NP; Kaufman DS; von Gunten L; Wang J; Anchukaitis KJ; Abram NJ; Addison JA; Curran MAJ; Evans MN...
- Emile-Geay J
- McKay NP
- Kaufman DS
- von Gunten L
- Wang J
- Anchukaitis KJ
- Abram NJ
- Addison JA
- Curran MAJ
- Evans MN
Publication Date: 2017-07-11
Type: Journal Article
Role of atmospheric oxidation in recent methane growth
Rigby M; Montzka SA; Prinn RG; White JWC; Young D; O'Doherty S; Lunt MF; Ganesan AL; Manning AJ; Simmonds PG...
- Rigby M
- Montzka SA
- Prinn RG
- White JWC
- Young D
- O'Doherty S
- Lunt MF
- Ganesan AL
- Manning AJ
- Simmonds PG
Publication Date: 2017-05-23
Type: Journal Article
Enhanced methane emissions from tropical wetlands during the 2011 La Nina
Pandey S; Houweling S; Krol M; Aben I; Monteil G; Nechita-Banda N; Dlugokencky EJ; Detmers R; Hasekamp O; Xu X...
- Pandey S
- Houweling S
- Krol M
- Aben I
- Monteil G
- Nechita-Banda N
- Dlugokencky EJ
- Detmers R
- Hasekamp O
- Xu X
Publication Date: 2017-04-10
Type: Journal Article
Upward revision of global fossil fuel methane emissions based on isotope database (vol 538, pg 88, 2016)
Schwietzke S; Sherwood OA; Bruhwiler LMP; Miller JB; Etiope G; Dlugokencky EJ; Michel SE; Arling VA; Vaughn BH; White JW...
- Schwietzke S
- Sherwood OA
- Bruhwiler LMP
- Miller JB
- Etiope G
- Dlugokencky EJ
- Michel SE
- Arling VA
- Vaughn BH
- White JWC
Publication Date: 2017-03-16
Type: Journal Article
Improved methodologies for continuous-flow analysis of stable water isotopes in ice cores
Publication Date: 2017-02-27
Type: Journal Article
Water isotope diffusion in the WAIS Divide ice core during the Holocene and last glacial
Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Global atmospheric teleconnections during Dansgaard-Oeschger events
Markle BR; Steig EJ; Buizert C; Schoenemann SW; Bitz CM; Fudge TJ; Pedro JB; Ding Q; Jones TR; White JC...
- Markle BR
- Steig EJ
- Buizert C
- Schoenemann SW
- Bitz CM
- Fudge TJ
- Pedro JB
- Ding Q
- Jones TR
- White JC
Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Using delta C-13-CH4 and delta D-CH4 to constrain Arctic methane emissions
Warwick NJ; Cain ML; Fisher R; France JL; Lowry D; Michel SE; Nisbet EG; Vaughn BH; White JWC; Pyle JA...
- Warwick NJ
- Cain ML
- Fisher R
- France JL
- Lowry D
- Michel SE
- Nisbet EG
- Vaughn BH
- White JWC
- Pyle JA
Publication Date: 2016-12-01
Type: Journal Article
Upward revision of global fossil fuel methane emissions based on isotope database
Schwietzke S; Sherwood OA; Ruhwiler LMPB; Miller JB; Etiope G; Dlugokencky EJ; Michel SE; Arling VA; Vaughn BH; White JW...
- Schwietzke S
- Sherwood OA
- Ruhwiler LMPB
- Miller JB
- Etiope G
- Dlugokencky EJ
- Michel SE
- Arling VA
- Vaughn BH
- White JWC
Publication Date: 2016-10-06
Type: Journal Article
Rising atmospheric methane: 2007-2014 growth and isotopic shift
Nisbet EG; Dlugokencky EJ; Manning MR; Lowry D; Fisher RE; France JL; Michel SE; Miller JB; White JWC; Vaughn B...
- Nisbet EG
- Dlugokencky EJ
- Manning MR
- Lowry D
- Fisher RE
- France JL
- Michel SE
- Miller JB
- White JWC
- Vaughn B
Publication Date: 2016-09-01
Type: Journal Article
A 21st-century shift from fossil-fuel to biogenic methane emissions indicated by (CH4)-C-13
Schaefer H; Fletcher SEM; Veidt C; Lassey KR; Brailsford GW; Bromley TM; Dlugokencky EJ; Michel SE; Miller JB; Levin I...
- Schaefer H
- Fletcher SEM
- Veidt C
- Lassey KR
- Brailsford GW
- Bromley TM
- Dlugokencky EJ
- Michel SE
- Miller JB
- Levin I
Publication Date: 2016-04-01
Type: Journal Article
Surface-atmosphere decoupling limits accumulation at Summit, Greenland
Berkelhammer M; Noone DC; Steen-Larsen HC; Bailey A; Cox CJ; O'Neill MS; Schneider D; Steffen K; White JWC...
- Berkelhammer M
- Noone DC
- Steen-Larsen HC
- Bailey A
- Cox CJ
- O'Neill MS
- Schneider D
- Steffen K
- White JWC
Publication Date: 2016-04-01
Type: Journal Article
A First Step Toward Quantifying the Climate's Information Production over the Last 68,000 Years
Publication Date: 2016-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Modern solar maximum forced late twentieth century Greenland cooling
Publication Date: 2015-07-28
Type: Journal Article
Influence of West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse on Antarctic surface climate
Publication Date: 2015-06-28
Type: Journal Article
Methane emissions in East Asia for 2000-2011 estimated using an atmospheric Bayesian inversion
Thompson RL; Stohl A; Zhou LX; Dlugokencky E; Fukuyama Y; Tohjima Y; Kim S-Y; Lee H; Nisbet EG; Fisher RE...
- Thompson RL
- Stohl A
- Zhou LX
- Dlugokencky E
- Fukuyama Y
- Tohjima Y
- Kim S-Y
- Lee H
- Nisbet EG
- Fisher RE
Publication Date: 2015-05-16
Type: Journal Article
Precise interpolar phasing of abrupt climate change during the last ice age
Buizert C; Adrian B; Ahn J; Albert M; Alley RB; Baggenstos D; Bauska TK; Bay RC; Bencivengo BB; Bentley CR...
- Buizert C
- Adrian B
- Ahn J
- Albert M
- Alley RB
- Baggenstos D
- Bauska TK
- Bay RC
- Bencivengo BB
- Bentley CR
Publication Date: 2015-04-30
Type: Journal Article
Audit of the global carbon budget: estimate errors and their impact on uptake uncertainty
Ballantyne AP; Andres R; Houghton R; Stocker BD; Wanninkhof R; Anderegg W; Cooper LA; DeGrandpre M; Tans PP; Miller JB...
- Ballantyne AP
- Andres R
- Houghton R
- Stocker BD
- Wanninkhof R
- Anderegg W
- Cooper LA
- DeGrandpre M
- Tans PP
- Miller JB
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Variations in global methane sources and sinks during 1910-2010
Ghosh A; Patra PK; Ishijima K; Umezawa T; Ito A; Etheridge DM; Sugawara S; Kawamura K; Miller JB; Dlugokencky EJ...
- Ghosh A
- Patra PK
- Ishijima K
- Umezawa T
- Ito A
- Etheridge DM
- Sugawara S
- Kawamura K
- Miller JB
- Dlugokencky EJ
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Pages
Teaching
My teaching interests at the undergraduate level focus on human interactions with the environment, as well as general geosciences. I have a strong commitment to undergraduate education in this area, as I believe that an educated citizenry is important in ensuring that reasonable environmental policy is made and implemented. I teach and helped to develop a large lecture class, Introduction to Environmental Studies (ENVS 1000). This course covers the broad spectrum of environmental studies, from the social to the natural sciences. In addition, I developed and teach a large upper level undergraduate course, GEOL 3520, Environmental Issues. This course addresses our present and future energy sources, and how those energy sources affect the Earth’s systems, including climate and biogeochemistry. At the graduate level, I teach courses in my research specialty, stable isotope geochemistry and biogeochemistry. I have also taught the ENVS Honor’s course, and supervised the ENVS Internship Program. I have also been relatively successful in securing funding for education at CU. With a number of other faculty at CU, I have had grants funded by NASA (Earth System Science Education), as well as a multi-million dollar NSF-IGERT graduate training grant. This grant supported 13 graduate students per year for five years in an experiment in team building, disciplinary silo breaking, and co-educating social science, natural science, and journalism graduate students in carbon cycle dynamics, economics and policy.
Past Courses
- ENVS 1000: Introduction to Environmental Studies
- ENVS 3930: Internship in Environmental Studies
- ENVS 4990: Senior Thesis in Environmental Studies
- ENVS 5900: Carbon, Climate, and Society
- ENVS/GEOL 3520: Environmental Issues in Geosciences
- GEOL 1070: Global Change
- GEOL 1110: Global Change Lab
- GEOL 5700: Environmental Isotopes
- GEOL 5700: Current Literature in Global Change Research
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Outreach
Videos about climate change
- Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change: Anticipating surprises
- 120 Seconds of Science with Doc Ryan
- Climate Change Impacts are Happening Faster and Faster