James W.C. White

Global change, paleoclimate dynamics, biogeochemistry

Professor - Environmental Studies Program ; Professor - Geological Sciences ; Director - Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research

Ph.D. 1983 Columbia University

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303-492-5494

303-492-8437		 Home Page - Stable Isotope Lab

Home Page - INSTAAR

INSTAAR Stable Isotope Lab

Geological Sciences

Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research

ENVS Graduate Program - Secondary Core

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Research Topics

  • Global scale climate and environmental dynamics.
  • Carbon dioxide concentrations and climate from stable hydrogen isotopes peats and other organics.
  • Climate from deuterium excess and hydrogen isotopes in ice cores.
  • Isotopes in general circulation models.
  • Modern carbon cycle dynamics via isotopes of carbon dioxide and methane.

Stable Isotope Lab

I started the INSTAAR Stable Isotope Lab in 1989. In recent years, my research has helped to show that large climate changes tend to occur in the natural system as abrupt and rapid shifts in mode probably driven by internal adjustments in the Earth climate system, rather than slow and gradual adjustments to changing external conditions, such as the amount of energy received from the sun. My research has also helped to show that land plants are capable of removing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, amounts that equal our input of CO2 from fossil fuel burning on short time scales. Such large changes in the uptake of CO2 by plants is a key piece in the puzzle we must solve to address future CO2 levels and climate change.

September 03 2009

Long-Term Cooling Trend in Arctic Abruptly Reverses, Signaling Potential for Sea Rise

August 26 2009

International Greenland Ice Coring Effort Sets New Drilling Record in 2009

June 19 2009

CU climate scientist, skeptic debate

March 28 2009

‘Extreme Ice’: Seeing is believing on glacial melting

October 07 2008

Overwhelming Evidence:  Peak to Peak Students Learn Science of Climate Change

August 12 2008

Panel series highlights climate, energy and sustainability

June 06 2006

Coring the Flade Isblink icecap in northeast Greenland

March 13 2006

CU-Boulder Scientists To Discuss Polar Research At March 22 Event

September 09 2005

Methane gyrations in past 2,000 years show human influence on atmosphere

November 07 2004

Unseen Colorado mountain aquifers throw water on “teflon basin” myth

August 07 2004

A North Greenland ice core reveals climate swings

June 09 2004

740,000-year-old Antarctic ice core

January 01 2004

Antarctic coastal ice core shows abrupt climate change around 22 ka.