Kaiser Group website: https://kaiserlab.org

Nitrate isotope analysis: We offer nitrogen (¹⁵N/¹⁴N) and oxygen (¹⁸O/¹⁶O, ¹⁷O/¹⁶O) isotopic analyses of nitrate (NO₃–) as analytical service, see here for more information.

Other PhD Positions

Click here for other current PhD opportunities in the School of Environmental Sciences.  However, feel free to email me to discuss projects outside these areas and alternative sources of funding.

• Director, Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of East Anglia
• Head, Sector Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences
• Executive Group, School of Environmental Sciences
• Study Abroad Coordinator, School of Environmental Sciences
• Adviser, School of Environmental Sciences
• SCI PGR Faculty Appeals and Complaints Panel
• Module Organiser, ENV-5015A Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change
• Module Organiser, ENV-6032Y Year Abroad
• Module Organiser, ENV-6033B Semester Abroad

• Atmospheric chemistry: nitrous oxide, nitrate, nitrogen oxides, halocarbons, stable isotopes (¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁷O, ¹⁸O, ³⁷Cl), polar firn air and ice measurements, stratospheric chemistry and transport
• Marine biogeochemistry: net and gross biological productivity (oxygen, oxygen/argon, oxygen triple isotopologues), air-sea exchange of greenhouse and related gases (nitrous oxide, methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide), benthic and pelagial nitrogen cycling
• Terrestrial biogeochemistry: Arctic lakes (Greenland, Svalbard), freshwater, lagoons

• since 08/14 Professor of Biogeochemistry, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Anglia, Norwich, UK
• 08/10–07/14 Reader, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Anglia, Norwich, UK
• 01/06–07/07 Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice, University of Anglia, Norwich, UK
• 01/06–07/10 Lecturer, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Anglia, Norwich, UK
• 01/03–12/05 Research Associate and Harry Hess Fellow, Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
• 07/02–12/02 Research Associate, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany
• 04/99–07/02 Dr. rer. nat. (PhD), University of Mainz/Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany. Thesis on 'Stable isotope investigations of atmospheric nitrous oxide'
• 04/99–06/02 Research Assistant, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
• 07/98–09/98 Internship, Japan Marine Sciences and Technology Centre, Yokosuka, Japan
• 04/96–10/96 Internship, Marine & Coastal Division, WWF Germany, Bremen, Germany
• 09/95–02/96 Industrial Training Studentship, Southampton Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK
• 10/94–11/98 Diplom (MSc) in Chemistry (emphasis: Marine & Atmospheric Chemistry), University of Bremen/Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany. Thesis on 'Sulphur isotope exchange and disproportionation of thiosulphate'
• 10/92–09/94 Vordiplom in Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Germany

I study global chemical, physical and biological processes in the Earth's atmosphere and oceans, and their variations through time under natural and anthropogenic influences, by integrating fieldwork, laboratory studies and modelling into a coherent framework, often involving the use of stable isotopes.

This approach has been applied to nitrous oxide (N₂O), nitrate, oxygen, nitrogen, argon and CO₂. I have led studies on the isotopic composition of atmospheric N₂O, emphasizing position-dependent ¹⁵N/¹⁴N isotope ratio measurements and the fate of N₂O in stratospheric photolysis and photo-oxidation. I developed analytical methods to accurately measure N₂O isotopes in troposphere, stratosphere, polar firn air and ice. This work allowed reconstruction of past changes and demonstrated increasing agricultural influences on atmospheric N₂O. In laboratory experiments, I studied temperature- and wavelength-dependent isotope effects in N₂O photolysis. I discovered that during photolysis the central nitrogen position always becomes more enriched in ¹⁵N than the terminal one, but that during photo-oxidation the opposite position-dependent fractionation occurs. This pattern allowed me to distinguish photolysis and photo-oxidation in the stratosphere.

I am also interested in rare isotope signatures, such as oxygen isotope anomalies (¹⁷O-excess, Δ(¹⁷O)) and multiply-substituted isotopologues (clumped isotopes) such as ¹⁵N¹⁵NO. The small ¹⁷O-excess of atmospheric N₂O motivated me to consider how best to characterise such anomalies. My review of data reduction practices for CO₂ isotope measurements revealed systematic uncertainties in global carbon budget calculations.

The N₂O work led on to the first online gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometric method to measure Δ(¹⁷O) of nitrate, which drastically reduced sample sizes and enabled seawater analyses. Δ(¹⁷O) combined with nitrogen isotope ratios were used to understand the annual cycle of nitrate in coastal Antarctica, uncovering stratospheric influences and re-evaporation from surface snow. Low sample size requirements make this technique suitable for ice core studies of past changes in the atmospheric oxidation capacity.

I have also developed a sea-going membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS). The instrument continuously measures dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, argon and CO₂. Oxygen/argon ratios allow separation of physical and biological effects on gas concentrations and provide net community production estimates on unprecedentedly fine scales.

More recent work included studies of N₂O and nitrate in marine and terrestrial environments as well as measurements of the chlorine (³⁷Cl/³⁵Cl) and carbon (¹³C/¹²C) of volatile organic compounds. As a member of the UEA Glider Group, I have been involved with deployments of oxygen sensors (optodes) on autonomous float (NAB 2008) and glider (GOPINA) platforms, in order to provide vital data on the oceanic carbon cycle and biological productivity estimates in a changing climate.

• ENV-4001A Global Environmental Challenges
• ENV-5015A Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change
• ENV-6032Y Year Abroad