GALEN A. McKINLEY
Associate Professor
Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Dr. McKinley's research group studies carbon cycling in the global oceans and the Great Lakes. We are interested in developing a holistic understanding of how carbon enters and exits aquatic systems and how it is processed therein. This requires an interdisciplinary approach across a range of fields: from fluid dynamics to aquatic chemistry to ecology. We use both historical datasets and numerical models to learn about carbon cycling. Currently, we have a variety of projects underway with foci in the North Atlantic and Lake Superior.


CURRENT EVENTS: Spring 2012

Professor Galen McKinley will be on sabattical for the 2011/2012 academic year. She can be reached by email.

Grand Opening - ALNC Climate Education Center - April 21st

A great new climate change educational opportunity is soon to open in Madison! See Science on a Sphere, immerse yourself in 360 degrees of weather, and delve into exciting interactive displays. The Aldo Leopold Nature Center will hold its Grand Opening on April 21. As part of this, Professor McKinley and Monona Grove High School teacher Juan Botella will present a live demo on Climate Change in Antarctic Waters at 12:30 PM. Aldo Leopold Nature Center - Climate Education - Grand Opening

CHANGING OCEAN CARBON CYCLE

Professor McKinley, former student Amanda Fay, and colleagues have published a paper in Nature Geoscience in which they find the carbon uptake in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre is being reduced due to climate warming. News stories from CNN and Voice of America can be found here.

TENURE PROMOTION

Professor McKinley has been recommended for promotion to tenure by the Physical Sciences Divisional Committee.

LOCAL TEACHER STUDYING OCEANOGRAPHY AROUND ANTARCTICA

Juan Botella, science teacher at Monona Grove High School in Monona, WI, is going to be on the Palmer Icebreaker from February - April 2011 to study the changing circulation of the Southern Ocean. You can follow his adventure from his blog at: http://www.polartrec.com/expeditions/seawater-property-changes-in-the-southern-ocean

You can follow his voyage and short blogs via this Google Map of the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer.

Video Reports of the work on the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer on the Seawater Property changess in the Southern Ocean

CARBON CYCLE BASICS IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH

The Carbon Cycle Basics Website has been translated into spanish. es.carboncycle.aos.wisc.edu The Website includes an interactive carbon budgeting applet where you can develop scenarios for future atmospheric CO2 based on changing emissions and natural sinks.

The english language version is carboncycle.aos.wisc.edu

 

 

NASA TV - Highlights our Lake Superior Carbon Cycle Poster at AGU, Dec 2010
AGU Poster PDF - 1.5 MB

TEACHING AWARD
Professor McKinley is the 2011 recipient of the University of Wisconsin Class of 1955 Distinguished Teaching Award.

CONGRATULATIONS TO AMANDA FAY
Congratulations to Amanda Fay who completed her Masters of Science Degree with Professor McKinley on December 21st, 2010. The title of her thesis is "Estimating Global Ocean Carbon Trends using In-Situ pCO2 Observations", Amanda Fay's Thesis PDF

CONGRATULATIONS DR. BENNINGTON!
Congratulations to Dr. Val Bennington, who completed her PhD with Professor McKinley on November 2, 2010. Her thesis addressed carbon cycling in both Lake Superior and the North Atlantic. Dr. Bennington will continue to work with Professor McKinley as a postdoc, and also with Drs. Jim Kitchell (UW-Madison Center for Limnology) and Michael Notaro (UW-Madison Center for Climatic Research). Dr. Bennington Thesis PDF