Abra Atwood Ph.D.

  • Postdoctoral Researcher
Abra Atwood

I study how changing climate and land use over decades affect river chemistry, using long-term records and remote sensing. I work across many landscapes, from the Brazilian tropics to the local Cape rivers. My research is motivated by an appreciation for water as a critical resource at local and global scales, where small changes to the water system can have large implications for communities.

I have expertise in hydrology and geochemistry. My studies have focused on the “critical zone”—the layer of Earth between the tree canopy and groundwater aquifers. As part of my Ph.D. research, I determined the chemistry and age of groundwater in the Nepal Himalayas, a major local resource, to understand its susceptibility to climate change. I have also studied how wildfire affects the water sources flowing into rivers in small catchments (natural drainage areas).

Selected Publications

Landscape controls on water availability limit revegetation after artisanal gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon

Atwood, A., S. Ramesh, J.A. Amaya, H. Cadillo-Quiroz, D. Coayla, C.-M. Chen, & A.J. West (2025). Communications Earth & Environment.

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Landscape controls on water availability limit revegetation after artisanal gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon

Atwood, A., S. Ramesh, J.A. Amaya, H. Cadillo-Quiroz, D. Coayla, C.-M. Chen, & A.J. West (2025). Communications Earth & Environment.

Read