Department of Environmental Sciences and Energy Research
Dan Yakir, Head
This Department, established in 1990, is dedicated to understanding the complex inter-relationships among the major earth systems and between the human need for energy and the consequent impact on the earth's environment. This requires knowledge of all the interdependent ecosystems that together constitute the "environment", as well as a commitment to improving the manner in which energy is utilized by humans.
The Department's research activities have several areas of focus. One is in the field of physical oceanography and hydrology. A second is in the use of stable isotopes for paleoclimatic reconstructions and biosphere-atmosphere interactions, and a third is in the field of atmospheric chemistry. Research in solar energy is conducted in a dedicated facility, the Solar Tower, on campus. The Department is distinguished by the fact that many collaborations exist among faculty members from quite different backgrounds. Such collaborations are viewed as essential in the fields of environmental and energy sciences. The interdisciplinary nature of the Department is well reflected in the academic training of the research students. Their backgrounds vary enormously from physics to biology and geology. We encourage the participation of students who are interested in not only investigating in depth a specific subject, but who are also interested in a broader, more integrative approach to science.
Fluid flow and chemical transport in groundwater systems.
Percolation, scaling and statistical physics models of structural and dynamic processes in geological formations.
Experimental and theoretical analysis of reactive transport and precipitation/dissolution patterns in porous media.
Development of chemical methods for remediation of water polluted by organic compounds and heavy metals.
Paleoclimate
H. Gildor, Yossi Ashkenazy, Eli Tziperman, Dick Peltier
- Glacial cycles
- The Red Sea during the Last Glacial Maximum
- The role of dust in the climate system
Submesoscale processes in the ocean
H. Gildor, Erick Fredj, Stephen Monismith, Amatzia Genin, Riyad Manasrah
- Mixing and dispersion
- Deep water formation
- Density currents
Interaction between the biota and climate
- Ocean biota and light penetration into the ocean
- The lightning-biota-climate feedback
- The role of ocean biota in the carbon cycle
Development of directly irradiated solar receivers.
Carbon dioxide dissociation using concentrated solar energy
Energy transport in particles seeded flows at high temperature.
Development of alternative fuels and their production methods using solar energy
- Carbon dioxide dissociation using concentrated solar energy
On the link between cloud aerosol interaction and climate change
The twilight zone - convective clouds and their interaction with the free atmosphere
Cloud microphysics processes and manmade effects on cloud properties
Nano-sized particles and their environmental effects
- Engeeniring of multicomponent submicron sized particles
- Studying the chemical processes of submicron particles
- Activation of particles to cloud droplets
- Electron microscopy of micron sized particles
The chemistry of organic aerosols: reactivity with atmospheric radicals and oxidants.
- Flowtube experiments
- Aerosol flow experiments
- Reactions of ozone and OH with particles, identification of surface and bulk products
Optical properties of absorbing aerosols
- Cavity ring down aerosol spectrmetry
- Asborbing aerosols
Chemical identification of organic compounds in atmospheric aerosols.
- Absorption of organic compounds onto mineral dust particles
- Identification of water-soluble material in biomass burning aerosols from Brazil
- Use of analytical techniques such as GCMS and ion chromatography
Stable isotops and paleoceanography of the Southern Ocean.
Biogenic opal and its use in marine and continental paleo-climate reconstructions.
Oxygen and carbon isotopes in corals.
Environmental and climatic influence on the exchange of trace gases and energy between plants, soil and the atmosphere.
Developing the use of stable isotopes (in particular, 13C, 18O, 15N, 2H) as tracers of biogeochemical cycles on land.
Climatic influence on the natural abundance of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in CO2, O2, H2O and organic matter.