Breadcrumb
Pronouns: she/her
Bio
Modeling and observation of ocean biogeochemistry; polar climate change and its impact on the oceans; global carbon cycle dynamics; global climate modeling.
Education
- PhD: University of California at Los Angeles, 2007
- MS: University of California at Los Angeles, 2003
- BA: Washington University in St. Louis, 2001
Awards
- Provost’s Faculty Achievement Award, University of Colorado Boulder, 2023
- Ocean Sciences Early Career Award, American Geophysical Union, 2019
- Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, 2018
- Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, National Science Foundation, 2018
- Citation for Excellence in Refereeing, American Geophysical Union (Geophysical Research Letters), 2015
- Citation for Excellence in Refereeing, American Geophysical Union (Global Biogeochemical Cycles), 2012
- Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, NOAA, 2007
- Bjerknes Memorial Award, University of California at Los Angeles, 2006
- Earth System Science Graduate Research Fellowship, NASA, 2005
- Brian Lance Bosart Memorial Award, University of California at Los Angeles, 2004
Research
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have increased exponentially, driving increases in global atmospheric temperature. Only about half of the CO2 emitted from anthropogenic activities has remained in the atmosphere; the other half has been taken up by natural carbon sinks: the ocean and the terrestrial biosphere. The global ocean has absorbed ~35% of the CO2 released by human activities since 1765. In the absence of this oceanic CO2 uptake, atmospheric CO2 concentrations would likely be much higher, and atmospheric temperatures would likely be warmer. Quantifying and understanding the uptake of CO2 by the ocean is a necessary step for making accurate predictions of future climate change.
My research aims to improve our understanding of the ocean’s role in the global carbon cycle by investigating the physical, chemical, and biological processes controlling air-sea CO2 exchange. I study how these processes operated in the past, how they function today, and how they might respond to anthropogenic climate change in the future. To do this, I employ a hierarchy of ocean and Earth system models along with satellite and in situ observations.
The major focus of my research thus far has been the exchange of CO2 between the atmosphere and the Southern Ocean, a large oceanic region stretching from the Antarctic continent to the subtropics of the Southern Hemisphere. The Southern Ocean is a region of critical importance to the global carbon cycle, as it is responsible for approximately half of the oceanic CO2 uptake. My research has helped to show that the absorption of CO2 by the Southern Ocean may have slowed in recent decades, due to anthropogenic changes in the climate system.
Publications
Recent publications
Supplementary material to "Anthropogenic climate change drives non-stationary phytoplankton variance"
Type: Journal Article
Immediate and long-lasting impacts of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption on ocean oxygen and carbon inventories
Type: Journal Article
Alternate Histories: Synthetic Large Ensembles of Sea-Air CO2 Flux
Olivarez HC; Lovenduski NS; Brady RX; Fay AR; Gehlen M; Gregor L; Landschuetzer P; McKinley GA; McKinnon KA; Munro DR...
- Olivarez HC
- Lovenduski NS
- Brady RX
- Fay AR
- Gehlen M
- Gregor L
- Landschuetzer P
- McKinley GA
- McKinnon KA
- Munro DR
Publication Date: 2022-06-01
Type: Journal Article
Ocean Biogeochemical Signatures of the North Pacific Blob
Mogen SC; Lovenduski NS; Dallmann AR; Gregor L; Sutton AJ; Bograd SJ; Quiros NC; Di Lorenzo E; Hazen EL; Jacox MG...
- Mogen SC
- Lovenduski NS
- Dallmann AR
- Gregor L
- Sutton AJ
- Bograd SJ
- Quiros NC
- Di Lorenzo E
- Hazen EL
- Jacox MG
Publication Date: 2022-05-16
Type: Journal Article
On the Detection of COVID-Driven Changes in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Publication Date: 2021-11-28
Type: Journal Article
Ocean biogeochemical signatures of the North Pacific Blob
Mogen S; Lovenduski NS; Dallman AR; Gregor L; Sutton AJ; Bograd SJ; Cordero Quiros N; Di Lorenzo E; Hazen EL; Jacox MG...
- Mogen S
- Lovenduski NS
- Dallman AR
- Gregor L
- Sutton AJ
- Bograd SJ
- Cordero Quiros N
- Di Lorenzo E
- Hazen EL
- Jacox MG
Type: Journal Article
The Influence of Ocean Topography on the Upwelling of Carbon in the Southern Ocean
Publication Date: 2021-10-16
Type: Journal Article
Extreme Ozone Loss Following Nuclear War Results in Enhanced Surface Ultraviolet Radiation
Bardeen CG; Kinnison DE; Toon OB; Mills MJ; Vitt F; Xia L; Jagermeyr J; Lovenduski NS; Scherrer KJN; Clyne M...
- Bardeen CG
- Kinnison DE
- Toon OB
- Mills MJ
- Vitt F
- Xia L
- Jagermeyr J
- Lovenduski NS
- Scherrer KJN
- Clyne M
Publication Date: 2021-09-27
Type: Journal Article
Replaying the tape of history: Synthetic large ensembles of sea-air carbon dioxide (CO2) flux
Olivarez H; Lovenduski N; Brady R; Fay A; Gehlen M; Gregor L; Landschützer P; McKinley G; McKinnon K; MUNRO D...
- Olivarez H
- Lovenduski N
- Brady R
- Fay A
- Gehlen M
- Gregor L
- Landschützer P
- McKinley G
- McKinnon K
- MUNRO D
Type: Journal Article
Alternate History: A Synthetic Ensemble of Ocean Chlorophyll Concentrations
Publication Date: 2021-09-01
Type: Journal Article
On the detection of COVID-driven changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide
Type: Journal Article
Alternate history: A synthetic ensemble of ocean chlorophyll concentrations
Type: Journal Article
Initialized Earth System prediction from subseasonal to decadal timescales
Meehl GA; Richter JH; Teng H; Capotondi A; Cobb K; Doblas-Reyes F; Donat MG; England MH; Fyfe JC; Han W...
- Meehl GA
- Richter JH
- Teng H
- Capotondi A
- Cobb K
- Doblas-Reyes F
- Donat MG
- England MH
- Fyfe JC
- Han W
Type: Journal Article
Quantifying Errors in Observationally Based Estimates of Ocean Carbon Sink Variability
Gloege L; McKinley GA; Landschuetzer P; Fay AR; Froelicher TL; Fyfe JC; Ilyina T; Jones S; Lovenduski NS; Rodgers KB...
- Gloege L
- McKinley GA
- Landschuetzer P
- Fay AR
- Froelicher TL
- Fyfe JC
- Ilyina T
- Jones S
- Lovenduski NS
- Rodgers KB
Publication Date: 2021-04-01
Type: Journal Article
Predictable Variations of the Carbon Sinks and Atmospheric CO2 Growth in a Multi-Model Framework
Ilyina T; Li H; Spring A; Mueller WA; Bopp L; Chikamoto MO; Danabasoglu G; Dobrynin M; Dunne J; Fransner F...
- Ilyina T
- Li H
- Spring A
- Mueller WA
- Bopp L
- Chikamoto MO
- Danabasoglu G
- Dobrynin M
- Dunne J
- Fransner F
Publication Date: 2021-03-28
Type: Journal Article
The Ocean Carbon Response to COVID-Related Emissions Reductions
Publication Date: 2021-03-28
Type: Journal Article
Quantifying the ocean carbon sink for 1994-2007: Combined evidence from multiple methods
McKinley GA; Cross J; DeVries T; Hauck J; Fay A; Landschützer P; Laruelle GG; Lovenduski N; Monteiro P; Najjar R...
- McKinley GA
- Cross J
- DeVries T
- Hauck J
- Fay A
- Landschützer P
- Laruelle GG
- Lovenduski N
- Monteiro P
- Najjar R
Type: Journal Article
Alternate history: A synthetic ensemble of ocean chlorophyll concentrations
Type: Journal Article
Nuclear Nino response observed in simulations of nuclear war scenarios
Publication Date: 2021-01-22
Type: Journal Article
A Synthetic Ensemble of Global Ocean Chlorophyll Concentration
Type: Journal Article
Alternate history: A synthetic ensemble of ocean chlorophyll concentrations
Type: Journal Article
The ephemeral and elusive ocean carbon response to COVID-related emissions reductions
Type: Journal Article
The Disproportionate Role of Ocean Topography on the Upwelling of Carbon in the Southern Ocean
Type: Journal Article
Summer High-Wind Events and Phytoplankton Productivity in the Arctic Ocean
Publication Date: 2020-09-01
Type: Journal Article
Twenty-first century ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and upper-ocean nutrient and primary production decline from CMIP6 model projections
Kwiatkowski L; Torres O; Bopp L; Aumont O; Chamberlain M; Christian JR; Dunne JP; Gehlen M; Ilyina T; John JG...
- Kwiatkowski L
- Torres O
- Bopp L
- Aumont O
- Chamberlain M
- Christian JR
- Dunne JP
- Gehlen M
- Ilyina T
- John JG
Publication Date: 2020-07-06
Type: Journal Article
Pages
Teaching
Past courses
- FYSM 1000: Controversies and Revolutions in the Earth Sciences
- A first-year seminar course that explores the evolution of scientific ideas in the atmospheric, oceanic, and Earth sciences.
- ATOC 1060: Our Changing Environment
- Discusses Earth's climate for non-science majors.
- ATOC/GEOL 3070: Introduction to Oceanography
- Investigates the broad-scale features of the Earth's oceans. Covers physical, chemical, and biological oceanography.
- ATOC 4200/5200: Biogeochemical Oceanography
- Provides a large-scale synthesis of the processes impacting ocean biogeochemistry.
- ATOC 5300: The Global Carbon Cycle
- Covers the role of the ocean, land surface, and atmosphere in the global carbon cycle.
Current students and postdoc
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Outreach
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