Breadcrumb

Bio
Originally trained in Quaternary and glacial geology, my interests turned to oceanography after noting the profound influence of ocean heat transport on ice sheet growth and retreat in the Arctic. I was amongst the first to show that the timing and speed of changes in the large scale overturning circulation of the oceans matched that predicted by paleo-temperature records from Greenland ice cores and (the then) nascent numerical models of ocean circulation. In the run-up to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (at which the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was opened for signing) I gave testimony to the U.S. Senate warning that unmitigated warming could lead to changes in the overturning circulation of the northern North Atlantic—a phenomenon now clearly visible in regional air and sea temperatures 25 years later. For the last two decades my work has focused on studies of the ocean’s role in determining Ice Age (natural) CO2 variations and on the use of 14C as a tracer in the contemporary carbon cycle and for direct quantification of anthropogenic CO2 emissions.
Education
- PhD: University of Colorado, 1989
- Postdoctoral Scholar: Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst/MIT Joint Program in Oceanography, 1987
Research
The role of the oceans in climate change; cycling of heat, fresh water, and carbon by the oceans; dynamics and consequences of abrupt climate change; radiocarbon dating; 14C as a tracer in the carbon cycle.
Watch a 19-min video presentation on estimating US CO2 emissions
(CU-NOAA 14C-based Inverse Estimation of US CO2 emissions, EGU 2021)
Resources
Publications
Select publications
2020: Basu, S., Lehman, S. J., Miller, J. B., Andrews, A. E., Sweeney, C., Gurney, K., Xu, X., Southon, J., Tans, P. P. Estimating US fossil fuel CO2 emissions from measurements of 14C in atmospheric CO2. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(24). doi 10.1073/pnas.1919032117
2016: Basu, S., Miller, J. B., Lehman, S. J. Separation of biospheric and fossil fuel fluxes of CO2 by atmospheric inversion of CO2 and 14CO2 measurements: Observation System Simulations. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 16: 5665-5683. doi 10.5194/acp-16-5665-2016
2012: Miller, J. B., Lehman, S. J., Montzka, S. A., Sweeney, C., Miller, B. R., Karion, A., Wolak, C., Dlugokencky, E. J., Southon, J., Turnbull, J. C., Tans, P. P. Linking emissions of fossil fuel CO2 and other anthropogenic trace gases using atmospheric 14CO2. Journal of Geophysical Research—Atmospheres, 117(D8). doi 10.1029/2011JD017048
2007: Marchitto, T. M., Lehman, S. J., Ortiz, J. D., Flueckiger, J., van Geen, A. Marine radiocarbon evidence for the mechanism of deglacial atmospheric CO2 rise. Science, 316(5830): 1456-1459. doi 10.1126/science.1138679
2007: Turnbull, J. C., Lehman, S. J., Miller, J. B., Sparks, R. J., Southon, J. R., Tans P. P. A new high precision 14CO2 time series for North American continental air. Journal of Geophysical Research—Atmospheres, 112(D11). doi 10.1029/2006JD008184
2004: Hughen, K., Lehman, S., Southon, J., Overpeck, J., Marchal, O., Herring, C., Turnbull, J. C-14 activity and global carbon cycle changes over the past 50,000 years. Science, 303(5655) 202-207. doi 10.1126/science.1090300
2000: Hughen, K. A., Southon, J. R., Lehman, S. J., Overpeck, J. T. Synchronous radiocarbon and climate shifts during the last deglaciation. Science, 290(5498): 1951-1954. doi 10.1126/science.290.5498.1951
1993: Oppo, D. W., Lehman, S. J. Mid-depth circulation of the subpolar North Atlantic during the last glacial maximum. Science, 259(5098): 1148-1152. doi 10.1126/science.259.5098.1148
1992: Lehman, S. J., Keigwin, L. D. Sudden changes in North Atlantic circulation during the last deglaciation. Nature, 356(6372): 757-762. doi 10.1038/356757a0
All publications
For a full list of Scott's publications, see his Google Scholar profile.
Recent publications
ATMOSPHERIC RADIOCARBON FOR THE PERIOD 1950-2019
Hua Q; Turnbull JC; Santos GM; Rakowski AZ; Ancapichun S; De Pol-Holz R; Hammer S; Lehman SJ; Levin I; Miller JB...
- Hua Q
- Turnbull JC
- Santos GM
- Rakowski AZ
- Ancapichun S
- De Pol-Holz R
- Hammer S
- Lehman SJ
- Levin I
- Miller JB
Publication Date: 2021-11-23
Type: Journal Article
Large and seasonally varying biospheric CO2 fluxes in the Los Angeles megacity revealed by atmospheric radiocarbon
Publication Date: 2020-10-27
Type: Journal Article
Observations of atmospheric (CO2)-C-14 at Anmyeondo GAW station, South Korea: implications for fossil fuel CO2 and emission ratios
Lee H; Dlugokencky EJ; Turnbull JC; Lee S; Lehman SJ; Miller JB; Petron G; Lim J-S; Lee G-W; Lee S-S...
- Lee H
- Dlugokencky EJ
- Turnbull JC
- Lee S
- Lehman SJ
- Miller JB
- Petron G
- Lim J-S
- Lee G-W
- Lee S-S
Publication Date: 2020-10-26
Type: Journal Article
Estimating US fossil fuel CO2 emissions from measurements of C-14 in atmospheric CO2
Publication Date: 2020-06-16
Type: Journal Article
The Dating of a Middle Paleolithic Blade Industry in Southern Russia and Its Relationship to the Initial Upper Paleolithic
Hoffecker JF; Holliday VT; Nehoroshev P; Vishnyatsky L; Otcherednoy A; Salnaya N; Goldberg P; Southon J; Lehman SJ; Capp...
- Hoffecker JF
- Holliday VT
- Nehoroshev P
- Vishnyatsky L
- Otcherednoy A
- Salnaya N
- Goldberg P
- Southon J
- Lehman SJ
- Cappa PJ
Publication Date: 2019-12-01
Type: Journal Article
Atmospheric observation-based estimation of fossil fuel CO2 emissions from regions of central and southern California
Publication Date: 2019-05-10
Type: Journal Article
Rapidly receding Arctic Canada glaciers revealing landscapes continuously ice-covered for more than 40,000 years
Publication Date: 2019-01-25
Type: Journal Article
Synthesis of Urban CO2 Emission Estimates from Multiple Methods from the Indianapolis Flux Project (INFLUX)
Turnbull JC; Karion A; Davis KJ; Lauvaux T; Miles NL; Richardson SJ; Sweeney C; McKain K; Lehman SJ; Gurney KR...
- Turnbull JC
- Karion A
- Davis KJ
- Lauvaux T
- Miles NL
- Richardson SJ
- Sweeney C
- McKain K
- Lehman SJ
- Gurney KR
Publication Date: 2019-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Assessing fossil fuel CO2 emissions in California using atmospheric observations and models
Graven H; Fischer ML; Lueker T; Jeong S; Guilderson TP; Keeling RF; Bambha R; Brophy K; Callahan W; Cui X...
- Graven H
- Fischer ML
- Lueker T
- Jeong S
- Guilderson TP
- Keeling RF
- Bambha R
- Brophy K
- Callahan W
- Cui X
Publication Date: 2018-06-01
Type: Journal Article
Limited contribution of ancient methane to surface waters of the U.S. Beaufort Sea shelf
Sparrow KJ; Kessler JD; Southon JR; Garcia-Tigreros F; Schreiner KM; Ruppel CD; Miller JB; Lehman SJ; Xu X...
- Sparrow KJ
- Kessler JD
- Southon JR
- Garcia-Tigreros F
- Schreiner KM
- Ruppel CD
- Miller JB
- Lehman SJ
- Xu X
Publication Date: 2018-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Considerable contribution of the Montreal Protocol to declining greenhouse gas emissions from the United States
Hu L; Montzka SA; Lehman SJ; Godwin DS; Miller BR; Andrews AE; Thoning K; Miller JB; Sweeney C; Siso C...
- Hu L
- Montzka SA
- Lehman SJ
- Godwin DS
- Miller BR
- Andrews AE
- Thoning K
- Miller JB
- Sweeney C
- Siso C
Publication Date: 2017-08-16
Type: Journal Article
COMPATIBILITY OF ATMOSPHERIC (CO2)-C-14 MEASUREMENTS: COMPARING THE HEIDELBERG LOW-LEVEL COUNTING FACILITY TO INTERNATIONAL ACCELERATOR MASS SPECTROMETRY (AMS) LABORATORIES
Hammer S; Friedrich R; Kromer B; Cherkinsky A; Lehman SJ; Meijer HAJ; Nakamura T; Palonen V; Reimer RW; Smith AM...
- Hammer S
- Friedrich R
- Kromer B
- Cherkinsky A
- Lehman SJ
- Meijer HAJ
- Nakamura T
- Palonen V
- Reimer RW
- Smith AM
Publication Date: 2017-06-01
Type: Journal Article
John Trevor Hollin 1930-2016
Publication Date: 2017-05-01
Type: Journal Article
Humans rather than climate the primary cause of Pleistocene megafaunal extinction in Australia
Publication Date: 2017-01-20
Type: Journal Article
Episodic Neoglacial snowline descent and glacier expansion on Svalbard reconstructed from the C-14 ages of ice-entombed plants
Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Atmospheric monitoring of carbon capture and storage leakage using radiocarbon
Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Strong regional atmospheric C-14 signature of respired CO2 observed from a tall tower over the midwestern United States
LaFranchi BW; McFarlane KJ; Miller JB; Lehman SJ; Phillips CL; Andrews AE; Tans PP; Chen H; Liu Z; Turnbull JC...
- LaFranchi BW
- McFarlane KJ
- Miller JB
- Lehman SJ
- Phillips CL
- Andrews AE
- Tans PP
- Chen H
- Liu Z
- Turnbull JC
Publication Date: 2016-08-01
Type: Journal Article
New constraints on deglacial marine radiocarbon anomalies from a depth transect near Baja California
Publication Date: 2016-08-01
Type: Journal Article
The surface expression of radiocarbon anomalies near Baja California during deglaciation (vol 422, pg 67, 2015)
Publication Date: 2016-05-15
Type: Journal Article
Continued emissions of carbon tetrachloride from the United States nearly two decades after its phaseout for dispersive uses
Hu L; Montzka SA; Miller BR; Andrews AE; Miller JB; Lehman SJ; Sweeney C; Miller SM; Thoning K; Siso C...
- Hu L
- Montzka SA
- Miller BR
- Andrews AE
- Miller JB
- Lehman SJ
- Sweeney C
- Miller SM
- Thoning K
- Siso C
Publication Date: 2016-03-15
Type: Journal Article
Separation of biospheric and fossil fuel fluxes of CO<sub>2</sub> by atmospheric inversion of CO<sub>2</sub> and <sup>14</sup>CO<sub>2</sub> measurements: Observation System Simulations
Publication Date: 2016-01-21
Type: Journal Article
Human predation contributed to the extinction of the Australian megafaunal bird Genyornis newtoni similar to 47 ka
Publication Date: 2016-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Radiocarbon evidence for a possible abyssal front near 3.1 km in the glacial equatorial Pacific Ocean
Publication Date: 2015-09-01
Type: Journal Article
The surface expression of radiocarbon anomalies near Baja California during deglaciation
Publication Date: 2015-07-15
Type: Journal Article
Observations of (CO2)-C-14 in ecosystem respiration from a temperate deciduous forest in Northern Wisconsin
Publication Date: 2015-04-01
Type: Journal Article
Pages
Teaching
Current courses
- GEOL 5420: Quaternary Dating Methods
Past courses
- GEOL 5700-011: Super-Problems in Quaternary Climate
- GEOL 5845-900: Independent Study, Geochemistry
- GEOL/ENVS 352: Environmental Issues in the Geosciences
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Outreach
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