9
The edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet, where recent melting has left bare ground. | Credit: Kevin Krajick, Columbia University FROM TRACKING THE ROUTES OF
to the U through the Global Change
biogeochemical cycles, which can
WATER THROUGHOUT THE WEST
and Sustainability Center and is now
then be compared to modern day.
TO DETERMINING THE LEVELS
Professor of Geology & Geophysics
OF CARBON IN THE PALEOCENE,
and Co-Director of the Stable Isotope
GABRIEL BOWEN’S RESEARCH
Facility for Environmental Research
INTO ISOTOPES EXTENDS INTO A
(SIRFER).
VARIET Y OF CRITICAL RESEARCH PATHS.
Recipient of this year's College of Science Excellence in Research Award,
“One of the really cool things about
Bowen founded the Spatio-Temporal
isotope geochemistry is that it really
Isotope Analytics (SPATIAL) Lab, which
crosses disciplinary boundaries,”
uses stable isotope techniques to look
Bowen says. “It’s a subfield that
at a lot of different areas of application
grew out of earth science, geology,
of isotope geochemistry. “Isotope
and geochemistry, but it’s useful in
science has been kind of limited by
everything from forensic science to
our ability to make measurements,”
water research to planetary science.”
says Bowen.
Bowen grew up in rural Michigan and
The SPATIAL group has pushed
spent his childhood outdoors, which
forward uniting isotope geoscience
grew his love of nature and the earth.
with data science, which helps
He received his bachelor’s in geology
facilitate sharing within and between
at the University of Michigan and
fields of study. These data can then
went to UC Santa Cruz for a PhD in
be leveraged to tackle bigger systems
earth science. Bowen came to the U
questions, including reconstructing
as a post doctoral researcher before
Earth’s climate through its geologic
joining Purdue University as a faculty
past. This allows researchers to see
member for seven years. He returned
changes in climate, ecosystems, and
CONTEXTUALIZING CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS
“The Earth’s been through a lot,” Bowen says. “There’s a lot of context that shows how unusual what’s happening right now is. We’re pushing the climate system and carbon cycle much faster than it’s ever gone at any point in the geologic record.” Bowen works with an international community of scientists whose initial study, published in November in the journal Science, has reconstructed CO2 concentrations going back through the Cenozoic, the era that began with the demise of dinosaurs and the rise of mammals 66 million years ago. But this record does not extend very deep into the geologic past. To go deeper, Bowen says, “you have to rely on indirect evidence, what we call proxies.” One of those proxies are isotopes in minerals, the morphology of fossilized leaves and other lines
RECOGNITION & RESEARCH | 2023
