Timothy Griffis

My research aims to improve the scientific understanding of the biophysical mechanisms that govern the exchange of energy and mass between the Earth's surface and the lower atmosphere. At this interface the processes are highly complex requiring a multidisciplinary approach that draws on knowledge from boundary layer meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, ecophysiology, hydrology, and soil science. In my view, Biometeorology represents the intersection of these disciplines and has become an integral component of global change research. The underlying theory and methodological approaches allow inquiry at the leaf to regional scale, which is essential to understanding how natural and anthropogenic environmental change influence the Earth-Atmosphere system. Humans have great capacity to alter the atmospheric composition and land surface characteristics. The exact consequences of these changes to weather, climate, environmental quality, and human health continue to be the subject of much debate and uncertainty. I aim to reduce these uncertainties by advancing the science of Biometeorology through innovative research and teaching. Current research interests include:

1. Biogeochemical and biogeophysical forcings associated with agriculture and natural ecosystems
2. Development of micrometeorological and optical stable isotope techniques to trace the flow of carbon, nitrogen, and water between the land and atmosphere
3. Reactive nitrogen cycling at the biosphere-atmosphere interface
4. Methane and carbon dioxide budgets of tropical forests and peatlands
5. Biophysical modeling of land-atmosphere trace gas exchange
6. Atmospheric transport and fate of herbicides/pesticides