Abra Atwood Ph.D.

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).