Overview
Peter Hess is a Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering and is currently the Director of Graduate Studies. His research interests focus on understanding atmospheric chemistry within the context of the earth’s climate system. His work will advance understanding of how the chemistry and composition of the atmosphere may change over the 21st Century and help to prepare adaptive responses or mitigation strategies. These changes in atmospheric chemistry not only drive climate change but also directly threaten human health, agricultural productivity, and natural ecosystems.
Research Focus
Anthropogenic emissions, agriculture activities, and land use changes all affect atmospheric composition and climate. Through integration of atmospheric chemical models and atmospheric measurements, Professor Hess seeks to understand atmospheric chemistry over the historical record and into the future. Projections of future climate change are coupled with changes in atmospheric composition, which, by extension impacts future air quality. Understanding the impacts of climate change not only requires constant environmental monitoring, but also a predictive ability gained through working with complex numerical models of the earth’s system.
