1.1 Sierra’s research:

1.2 Silicate Rock Amendments for Reduced Methane Emissions and Increased Carbon Storage in Rice Fields

The breakdown of rocks, known as rock weathering, absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere. PhD student Kelly Anne Tucker, in collaboration with Berkeley Lab scientist Peter Nico, is studying how this natural process can be leveraged to remove atmospheric CO2 on a larger scale to address climate change.

Tucker is investigating the effects of adding weathered rocks to rice crops, focusing on methane and CO2 flux, rice grain yield and quality, and soil microbial communities. Her research explores whether this approach could be applied to rice agriculture, which covers about 10% of Earth’s land, as a scalable solution for carbon dioxide removal.

1.3 Assessing Wildfire Impacts on Watershed & Groundwater Quality: Fate and Transport of Contaminants

The escalation in the severity and frequency of wildfires has emerged as a formidable obstacle to achieving environmental sustainability. Nowhere is this more apparent than in California.  In California, while there are proactive groundwater management initiatives, such as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (California, n.d.), there’s a lack of sufficient information on how wildfires affect groundwater quality and watershed health. This knowledge gap is critical as PFAS can pose long-term risks to groundwater, and their widespread use in fire suppressants complicates efforts to ensure water safety. We aim to address gaps in understanding wildfire impacts on groundwater in wildland-urban interface locations by focusing on two objectives: 1—Quantify the influence of wildfires on PFAS and metal(loid) concentrations in the watershed. 2—Assess the spatial and temporal variability of these contaminants in wildfire-affected areas.