Sampling iron rich river water to study the role of iron in the Alaskan Arctic.
I am a graduate student working with Rose Cory (EES) to determine the role of iron in carbon cycling in the Alaskan Arctic. With ongoing climate change, previously frozen soils rich in organic material are susceptible to be oxidized to produce carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes further climate changes. During my three months of fieldwork on the North Slope of Alaska, I am studying chemical processes involving iron that lead to the production of carbon dioxide in arctic soils. The Rackham Pre-candidate Research Grant partially supports my fieldwork.
– Adrianna Trusiak, Doctoral Candidate, Earth and Environmental Sciences