Dr. Alysha Inez Coppola-Varkalis

I'm a senior scientist (SNSF Ambizione fellow) in the Biogeoscience Group in the Department of Earth Science at ETH Zurich. As an earth scientist trained in oceanography, my research seeks to understand the largest reservoir of marine organic carbon (dissolved organic carbon) by employing field work, novel isotopic and compound specific methods to identify and understand the main processes of carbon cycling dynamics in the ocean and land-river-ocean aquatic interface. I focus on global measurements of black carbon in bulk organic carbon pools using compound specific radiocarbon analysis in the open ocean water column, in the global ocean and at regional scales (in the Mackenzie River and Amazon River). My goal is to link terrestrial and marine cycles on basin scale wide processes. Read more about my latest work external pageherecall_made.

The latest review on external pageThe black carbon cycle and its role in the Earth Systemcall_made is available by clicking on the title.  

Education and professional experience

Senior scientist (Ambizione Fellow) (3/2021-present)
ETH, Zurich Switzerland
Department of Earth Science, host: Timothy I. Eglinton

Postdoc (1/2016-12/2019)
University of Zurich, Switzerland
Biogeochemistry and Soil Science, mentor: Michael W.I. Schmidt

PhD (7/2015-10/2011)
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
Department Earth System Science, PhD advisor: Ellen R.M. Druffel

MSc (9/2009-9/2011)
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
Department Earth System Science, MS advisor: Ellen R.M. Druffel,

BSc 2008-2004
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USA
Chemistry Bachelors of Science