Critical Zone biogeochemistry

About me

Hi, I’m an Earth Scientist interested in the interconnection between our planet’s climate and carbon cycle over different timescales. I focus on terrestrial environments, and particularly on the Critical Zone, the Earth’s permeable surface layer that extends from the top of the tree canopy to the bedrock and thus is vital for the sustainment of terrestrial life. Critical Zone processes are essential for a number of societal issues such as food security, drinking water quality, and ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration. However, large uncertainties persist in the magnitude and direction of fluxes between the Critical Zone and other carbon cycle reservoirs. I address these uncertainties by studying Critical Zone processes, and by reconstructing how climate and terrestrial ecosystem changed over time.

My research is characterised by a strong fieldwork and laboratory component. I am a seasoned field geochemist with expertise in environmental monitoring and collection of various samples (soils, rocks, sediment, water, gases). My laboratory skills include a broad range of analyses, in particular measurements of stable C and O isotopes, radiocarbon preparation and measurement techniques, and organic geochemistry procedures.

I am an independent group leader at the Laboratory for the Analysis of Radiocarbon with AMS (LARA) at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Since November 2022, I am also the deputy group leader of the LARA lab. For more information on our lab, visit our site.