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 components that together constitute the "environment", as well as a commitment to protect this environment by improving the manner in which energy is utilized by humans.

The Department's research activities have several general areas of activities. One focuses on water and includes physical oceanography and hydrology. A second is in the use of stable isotopes for reconstructions of paleoclimatic and of biosphere-atmosphere interactions, and a third is in the area of atmospheric chemistry and clouds physics. Research in solar energy is conducted in a dedicated facility, the Solar Tower, on campus. The Department is distinguished by the interactions among scientists from quite different backgrounds and expertise, which is critical to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the global environment. We also promotes international collaboration based on short- and long-term visits for research and training by scientists who complement existing activities in the department. The interdisciplinary nature of the Department is well reflected in the academic training of the research students. Their backgrounds vary enormously from physics and mathematics through geology to biology. 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.


B. Berkowitz

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.


H. Gildor

Paleoclimate
H. Gildor, Yossi Ashkenazy, Eli Tziperman, Dick Peltier

  1.  Glacial cycles

  2.  The Red Sea during the Last Glacial Maximum

  3.  The role of dust in the climate system

Submesoscale processes in the ocean
H. Gildor, Erick Fredj, Stephen Monismith, Amatzia Genin, Riyad Manasrah

  1.  Mixing and dispersion

  2.  Deep water formation

  3.  Density currents

Interaction between the biota and climate

  1.  Ocean biota and light penetration into the ocean

  2.  The lightning-biota-climate feedback

  3.  The role of ocean biota in the carbon cycle


J. Karni

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

  1.  Carbon dioxide dissociation using concentrated solar energy


I. Koren

Anthropogenic Effects on Clouds and Precipitation and the Derived Climate Forcing
I. Koren, NASA-GSFC, UMBC

The twilight zone - convective clouds and their interaction with the free atmosphere
I. Koren, NOAA-ESRL Boulder CO.

Cloud microphysics and dynamics

Cloud classification and cloud textures and morphology


Y. Rudich

Nano-sized particles and their environmental effects

  1.  Engeeniring of multicomponent submicron sized particles

  2.  Studying the chemical processes of submicron particles

  3.  Activation of particles to cloud droplets

  4.  Electron microscopy of micron sized particles

The chemistry of organic aerosols: reactivity with atmospheric radicals and oxidants.

  1.  Flowtube experiments

  2.  Aerosol flow experiments

  3.  Reactions of ozone and OH with particles, identification of surface and bulk products

Optical properties of absorbing aerosols

  1.  Cavity ring down aerosol spectrmetry

  2.  Asborbing aerosols

Chemical identification of organic compounds in atmospheric aerosols.

  1.  Absorption of organic compounds onto mineral dust particles

  2.  Identification of water-soluble material in biomass burning aerosols from Brazil

  3.  Use of analytical techniques such as GCMS and ion chromatography


A. Shemesh

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.


D. Yakir

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.