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Research Interests

My research interests are the study of ocean biogeochemical cycles on regional to global scales and on timescales from months to centuries. I am particularly interested in investigating the cycles of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen as well as those of their isotopes. The goal is to gain a better understanding of the interactions between the physical, chemical and biological processes that control the distributions of these climatically important elements and how these change through time. My primary research tools are the interpretation and analysis of observational data coupled with the use of models ranging in complexity from simple box models to global oceanic general circulation models. My research currently focuses on four different aspects: (i) determining the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2, (ii) investigating the role of oceanic nitrogen fixation and denitrification on the cycling of carbon within the ocean, (iii) identifying and studying interannual to decadal variability in the marine carbon cycle, and (iv) applying inverse modeling techniques to estimate the exchange of heat and tracers across the air-sea interface.

Selected Publications

Sabine, C.S., M. Heimann, P. Artaxo, D. Bakker, C.-T. A. Chen, C. B. Field, N. Gruber, C. LeQuéré, R. G. Prinn, J. E. Richey, P. Romero-Lankao, J. Sathaye, R. Valentini. 2003. (in press) Current Status and Past Trends of the Carbon Cycle In: Toward CO2 Stabilization: Issues, Strategies, and Consequences (C. B. Field and M. R. Raupach, eds.), Island Press .

Gruber, N., P. Friedlingstein, C.~B. Field, R. Valentini, M. Heimann, J.~E. Richey, P. Romero-Lankao, D. Schulze, and C.-T.A. Chen. 2003. (in press) The vulnerability of the carbon cycle in the 21st century: An assessment of carbon-climate-human interactions In: Toward CO2 Stabilization: Issues, Strategies, and Consequences (C. B. Field and M. R. Raupach, eds.), Island Press .

Sarmiento, J.L., N. Gruber, M. Brzezinski, and J. Dunne. 2003. (in press) High Latitude Controls of the Global Nutricline and Low Latitude Biological Productivity Nature .

Gloor, M., N. Gruber, J. L. Sarmiento, R. A. Feely, C.L. Sabine and C. Roedenbeck. 2003. A first estimate of present and pre-industrial air-sea CO2 flux patterns based on ocean carbon measurements Geophysical Research Letters 30(1): .

Sabine, C.S., M. Heimann, P. Artaxo, D. Bakker, C.-T. A. Chen, C. B. Field, N. Gruber, C. LeQuéré, R. G. Prinn, J. E. Richey, P. Romero-Lankao, J. Sathaye, R. Valentini. 2003. (in press) Current Status and Past Trends of the Carbon Cycle In: Toward CO2 Stabilization: Issues, Strategies, and Consequences (C. B. Field and M. R. Raupach, eds.), Island Press .

Gruber, N., P. Friedlingstein, C.~B. Field, R. Valentini, M. Heimann, J.~E. Richey, P. Romero-Lankao, D. Schulze, and C.-T.A. Chen. 2003. (in press) The vulnerability of the carbon cycle in the 21st century: An assessment of carbon-climate-human interactions In: Toward CO2 Stabilization: Issues, Strategies, and Consequences (C. B. Field and M. R. Raupach, eds.), Island Press .

Sarmiento, J.L., N. Gruber, M. Brzezinski, and J. Dunne. 2003. (in press) High Latitude Controls of the Global Nutricline and Low Latitude Biological Productivity Nature .

Gloor, M., N. Gruber, J. L. Sarmiento, R. A. Feely, C.L. Sabine and C. Roedenbeck. 2003. A first estimate of present and pre-industrial air-sea CO2 flux patterns based on ocean carbon measurements Geophysical Research Letters .

Sabine, C.S., M. Heimann, P. Artaxo, D. Bakker, C.-T. A. Chen, C. B. Field, N. Gruber, C. LeQuéré, R. G. Prinn, J. E. Richey, P. Romero-Lankao, J. Sathaye, R. Valentini. 2003. (in press) Current Status and Past Trends of the Carbon Cycle In: Toward CO2 Stabilization: Issues, Strategies, and Consequences (C. B. Field and M. R. Raupach, eds.), Island Press .

Gruber, N., P. Friedlingstein, C.~B. Field, R. Valentini, M. Heimann, J.~E. Richey, P. Romero-Lankao, D. Schulze, and C.-T.A. Chen. 2003. (in press) The vulnerability of the carbon cycle in the 21st century: An assessment of carbon-climate-human interactions In: Toward CO2 Stabilization: Issues, Strategies, and Consequences (C. B. Field and M. R. Raupach, eds.), Island Press .