Our research seeks to better understand large-scale climate variability and change, and specifically the role played by atmospheric circulation and water. Because water is such an important part of the climate system (linked to clouds and radiative budgets, surface water resources, heat exchange, and the function of the terrestrial biosphere), understanding the controls on the movement of water and its role in helping determine the climate state is of clear importance.

A novel aspect of our research is the use of stable water isotopes. Because of the integrative nature of water and its stable isotopes, this work is inherently interdisciplinary and has led us to work with colleagues in a wide range of fields including paleoclimatology, biogeochemistry, glaciology, atmospheric chemistry, plant physiology and ecology, and more traditional atmospheric sciences. Or work includes using advanced computer models of the atmosphere and climate system, satellite remote sensing, field measurements and laboratory experiments.