School of Geography - Faculty of Environment

RESEARCH OVERVIEW

To understand ecosystem dynamics in wetlands, particularly peatlands, with a focus on the water and carbon cycles and on the use of numerical models.

Much of my research considers the physical processes of water, heat and gas transfer in peat soils. Peatlands are globally-important carbon stores (they contain at least a third of the global soil carbon store) and are both sinks and sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide and sources of atmospheric methane. Because of this, they are thought to exert an important control on global climate. Carbon storage in peatlands is strongly influenced by hydrological and thermal processes; hence, my motivation for studying these processes.

CURRENT PROJECTS

2007-2010 – The role of pipes in carbon export from peatlands

2008-2010 – Efflux of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere from northern peatlands via ebullition: the role of plants and peat structure.

2009-2010 – Biophysical drivers of methane ebullition in northern peatlands.

RESEARCH AFFILIATIONS

• River Basins

PUBLICATIONS

• Kettridge, N., Comas, X., Baird, A.J., Slater, L., Strack, M., Thompson, D., Jol, H., and Binley, A. 2008. Ecohydrologically-important subsurface structures in peatlands are revealed by ground-penetrating radar and complex conductivity surveys. Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeosciences 113, G04030, doi: 10.1029/2008JG000787.
• Baird, A.J., Eades, P.A., and Surridge, B.W.J. 2008. The hydraulic structure of a raised bog and its implications for ecohydrological modelling of bog development. Ecohydrology 1, 289-298, doi: 10.1002/eco.33.

CURRICULUM VITAE

PRESENTATIONS

TEACHING