Elemental cycling and the distribution of chemical substances in the natural environment result from an interplay of transport and reaction processes. The abundance of substrates shapes the distribution of life and at the same time is influenced by the biota. If we aim at understanding the feedback between life and its abiotic surroundings and the dynamics of elemental turnover, we have to consider the physics of transport, the chemistry of reactions and the biology of microbes and larger organisms. The study of their interplay in aquatic environments is the overarching theme in our group.

Groundwater & Land-Ocean Interface

MODELING BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

Sediments & Microbial Mats

Saline Lakes

Cold Seeps

Microbes& Pore Scale

Due to the variety of processes occurring simultaneously and their complex interactions, a quantitative understanding typically requires the use of (mathematical) models. They consist of sets of processes descriptions which are meant to reflect the determining factors and to incorporate the detailed knowledge on individual processes. Combining them into a numerical model, we strive for an integrative description of our study systems. This integrative approach allows us to test our understanding of the natural environment, to reason on natural variability and, potentially, to predict responses to natural variations and human activity.

			Christof Meile, Assistant Professor Department of Marine Sciences, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 tel: +1-706-542 6549, fax: +1-706-542 5888, email: cmeile@uga.edu
research teaching people
Last updated: January 2004