Research Scope
We focus on earth system science applied to land-atmosphere carbon dynamics under the effects of climate change. This includes changes in surface hydrology, vegetation and geomorphology under climate change, interactions with biogeochemical processes and how these relationships influence higher-level environmental patterns and processes. I use a combination of in-situ sampling methods, multi-scale remote sensing and computational advancements (e.g. AI, modeling) to pinpoint and evaluate the mechanistic links between landscapes, climate and carbon exchange.
Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Climate Change Feedbacks in Arctic Ponds
Despite their importance to regional CH4 budgets, ponds have been generally understudied and thus, underrepresented in Arctic and global CH4 estimates and earth system models. Therefore, it is unknown how their evolution will impact future land-atmosphere carbon exchange and potential feedbacks to climate. This study will (1) establish a foundational understanding of surface-atmosphere carbon dynamics of polygonal ponds, (2) characterize the timing and pathways of CH4 emissions, and (3) unravel the evolution of ponds under climate change and its carbon implications.
Hot-spot and Hot-moment Dynamics in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems
Rapid climate warming in the Arctic is thawing frozen soils, also known as permafrost, which is not only reshaping surface topography but also increasing the release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Due to the speed in which Arctic landscapes are changing, and the massive carbon pools locked in permafrost, improving knowledge of the key interactions between plants and micro-organisms and their impacts on greenhouse gas release is essential for predicting how thawing Arctic soils will contribute to global climate change
Vegetation and Bluff Stability
Coastal erosion and the permanent loss of land and infrastructure has been an ongoing challenge along the bluffs of the Great Lakes. The lack of understanding of bluff stability processes in vegetated areas is of concern given the large portion of vegetated bluffs across the region. This study explores the intrinsic relationship between ecosystem and geomorphology.
Recent Publications:
· Andresen, C. G. and Schultz-fellenz, E. S. (2023) Change Detection Applications in the Earth Sciences Using UAS-Based Sensing: A Review and Future Opportunities. Drones, 7, 258. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/drones7040258.
· Joanmarie Del Vecchio, Emma Lathrop, Julian B. Dann, Christian G. Andresen, Adam D. Collins, Michael M. Fratkin, Simon Zwieback, Rachel C. Glade, and Joel C. Rowland. (2022). Patterns and rates of soil movement and shallow failures across several small watersheds on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Earth Surface Dynamics Discussions, 1-28.
· Arendt CA, Heikoop JM, Newman BD, Wilson CJ, Wainwright H, Kumar J, Andresen CG, Wales NA, Dafflon B, Cherry J, Wullschleger SD. Increased Arctic NO3− Availability as a Hydrogeomorphic Consequence of Permafrost Degradation and Landscape Drying. Nitrogen. 2022; 3(2):314-332. https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen3020021
· Murphy, B. May JA, Butterworth B., Andresen CG, Desai AR (2022). Unraveling forest complexity: Resource use efficiency, disturbance, and structure-function relationship. e2021JG006748 JGR Biogeosciences.
· Andresen CG, Lougheed VL (2021). Arctic aquatic graminoid tundra responses to nutrient availability. Biogeosciences.
· Lougheed VL, Tweedie CE, Andresen CG, Armendariz AM, Escarzaga SM, Tarin G. (2020) Patterns and Drivers of Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in Aquatic Ecosystems of the Arctic Coastal Tundra. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 34 (3), e2020GB006552. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GB006552.
· Brian J Butterworth, Ankur R Desai, Stefan Metzger, Philip A Townsend, Mark D Schwartz, Grant W Petty, Matthias Mauder, Hannes Vogelmann, Christian G Andresen, et al. (2020) Connecting Land-Atmosphere interactions to surface Heterogeneity in CHEESEHEAD19. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 1-71.
· Collins A. D., Andresen C. G., Charsley-Groffman L. M., Cochran T., Dann J., Lathrop E., Riemersma G. J., Swanson E. M., Tapadinhas A., Wilson C. J. (2020). UAS LiDAR Mapping of an Arctic Tundra Watershed: Challenges and Opportunities. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) XLIV-M-2-2020, 1–8.
· Lara M. J., Lin D. H., Andresen C. G., Lougheed, V. L., Tweedie, C. E. (2019). Nutrient release from permafrost thaw enhances CH4 emissions from Arctic tundra wetlands. Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences. 124, 1560–1573. https://doi.org/ 10.1029/2018JG004641.
· McFerrin M., et al. (2019) Next generation of polar researchers agree on three priorities. Nature 570, 36.
· Andresen C. G., Lawrence, D. M., Wilson, C. J., McGuire, A.D., Jafarov, E., Schaefer, K., Chen, G., Hayes, D., Zhang, W,. Chen, X., Gouttevin, I., Burke, E., Chadburn, S., Ji, D., Koven, C. (2020). Soil Moisture and Hydrology Projections of the Permafrost Region: A model Intercomparison . The Cryosphere.
· Lara M. J., Andresen C. G., Lin D. H., Lougheed, V. L., Tweedie, C. E. (2019). Nutrient release from permafrost thaw enhances CH4 emissions from Arctic tundra wetlands. Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences.