Debra Wunch

Assistant Professor
Telephone number
416-946-0408
Program
Physics & School of the Environment

Research Interests

I am interested in the Earth's carbon cycle, which is the flow of carbon (generally in the form of carbon dioxide) between the land, oceans and atmosphere. Measurements of the atmosphere are key to understanding these processes: they constrain the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide and help determine the impacts of increasing fossil fuel emissions into our atmosphere. My research focuses on making precise and accurate measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, and interpreting the measurements in the context of the carbon cycle.

My two main research projects investigate the impact of the Boreal forest on the global carbon cycle, and the magnitude of the greenhouse gas emissions from Toronto, Canada's largest city. We're currently observing greenhouse gases in Toronto's atmosphere using a mobile in situ gas analyser. Please visit our GTA emissions webpage to check it out. U of T Magazine included a nice write-up about our project here: How Much Methane?