Rob Spencer

Tropical soil disturbance could be hidden source of CO2

Published: June 24, 2019 | 12:57 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Thousand-year-old tropical soil unearthed by accelerating deforestation and agriculture land use could be unleashing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to a new study from researchers at Florida State University. In an investigation of 19 sites in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, researchers discovered that heavily deforested areas leach organic carbon that is […]

Why is Wakulla Springs’ water turning brown? FSU researchers may have the answer

Published: October 24, 2018 | 1:41 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

The world's largest and deepest freshwater spring is experiencing an unwelcome change.

North Florida’s Wakulla Springs is experiencing an unwelcome change: Its famously crystal waters are turning brown. After extensive study, researchers at Florida State University think they might know why. In a paper published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, a team of scientists from FSU’s Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science (EOAS) explains […]

FSU researchers: Savanna fires pump Central African forests full of nitrogen

Published: February 8, 2018 | 1:08 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Researchers found that nitrogen from large-scale fires is being swept up into the atmosphere and deposited on the forests of the Congo Basin.

The remote forests of Africa’s Congo Basin have long been a blind spot for scientists working to understand how Earth’s natural cycles respond to the environmentally unique characteristics of different regions. Now, two Florida State University researchers are part of a global team of scientists revealing the unexpected role that large-scale fires and high nitrogen […]

From FSU to Arctic Russia: Research leads grad student on a unique trip

Published: July 29, 2016 | 10:40 am | Posted in: Science & Technology, Students & Campus Life

When Sarah Ellen Johnston decided to come to Florida State University last year, she knew there was a good chance she’d be on the road a bit when it came to research. “That was one of the reasons for coming here,” she said. “I knew there were a lot of international research opportunities.” Johnston’s adviser, […]