Nir Y. Krakauer

research

I study the earth's carbon and water cycles, particularly the effects of global warming and other human impacts. I work with researchers at NOAA-CREST on monitoring water resources, droughts and floods from earth-observing satellites.

If you're a current or prospective CUNY student interested in pursuing a research project with me, please e-mail me at the address above.

My Caltech Ph.D. work focused on (1) the distribution of gas (primarily carbon dioxide) molecules and isotopes that results from mixing in the atmosphere and ocean and (2) the effect of climate change on forests and ocean circulation. (View my dissertation.) As a NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow from 2006-2008 with Inez Fung in Berkeley, I worked in the Keck Hydrowatch Project, which is testing sensor networks that promise to provide new insights into forest water flow.

I'm an editor for the Central European Journal of Geosciences

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classes

publications

journal articles

NY Krakauer, BI Cook, MJ Puma (in discussion), Contribution of soil moisture feedback to hydroclimatic variability, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
PDF (2 MB)

T Lakhnakar, NY Krakauer, R Khanbilvardi (2009), Applications of microwave remote sensing of soil moisture for agricultural applications, International Journal of Terraspace Science and Engineering, 2(1), 81-91
PDF (700 KB)

A Rahman, L Roytman, NY Krakauer, M Nizamuddin, M Goldberg (2009), Use of vegetation health data for estimation of aus rice yield in Bangladesh, Sensors, 9, 2968-2975, doi: 10.3390/s90402968
PDF (100 KB)

NY Krakauer, I Fung (2008), Mapping and attribution of change in streamflow in the coterminous United States, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11, 1111-1120
PDF (700 KB)

FH Lambert, A Stine, NY Krakauer, JCH Chiang (2008), How much will precipitation increase with global warming?, Eos 89(21): 193-194, doi: 10.1029/2007ES001938
PDF (100 KB)

R Salve, NY Krakauer, MB Kowalsky, S Finsterle (2008), A qualitative assessment of microclimatic perturbations in a tunnel, International Journal of Climatology, doi: 10.1002/joc.1697
PDF (2 MB)

Z Yang, RA Washenfelder, G Keppel-Aleks, NY Krakauer, JT Randerson, PP Tans, C Sweeney, PO Wennberg (2007), New constraints on Northern Hemisphere growing season net flux, Geophysical Research Letters 34, L12807, doi: 10.1029/2007GL029742
PDF (200 KB)

DY Hsueh, NY Krakauer, JT Randerson, X Xu, SE Trumbore, JR Southon (2007), Regional patterns of radiocarbon and fossil fuel-derived CO₂ in surface air across North America, Geophysical Research Letters, 34, L02816, doi: 10.1029/2006GL027032
PDF (200 KB); AGU press release, UC press release; Notice in Natural History

NY Krakauer, JT Randerson, FW Primeau, N Gruber, D Menemenlis (2006), Carbon isotope evidence for the latitudinal distribution and wind speed dependence of the air-sea gas transfer velocity, Tellus B, 58(5), 390-417, doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2006.00223.x
PDF (600 KB)

LF Robinson, JF Adkins, DP Fernandez, DS Burnett, S-L Wang, AC Gagnon, NY Krakauer (2006), Primary U distribution in scleractinian corals and its implications for U series dating, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 7, Q05022, doi: 10.1029/2005GC001138
PDF (3 MB)

P Suntharalingam, JT Randerson, NY Krakauer, DJ Jacob, JA Logan (2005), The influence of reduced-carbon emissions and oxidation on the distribution of atmospheric CO₂: Implications for inversion analyses, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 19(4), 4003, doi: 10.1029/2005GB002466
PDF (600 KB)

NY Krakauer, JT Randerson (2003), Do volcanic eruptions enhance or diminish net primary production? Evidence from tree rings,
Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 17(4), 1118, doi: 10.1029/2003GB002076
PDF (1.2 MB); Supplementary figures (PDF, 220 KB)

conference presentations

A Angert, NY Krakauer, "Increased diffuse radiation fraction does not significantly accelerate plant growth", EGU General Assembly (Vienna, Mayl 2010)
abstract (PDF, 70 KB)

B Shmagin, C Johnston, NY Krakauer, "Spatiotemporal regime of climate and streamflow in the U.S. Great Lakes Basin", 52nd Annual Conference of International Association for Great Lakes Research (Toledo, May 2009)
abstract, slides (PDF, 7 MB), in Nature Precedings

I Fung, NY Krakauer, A Stine, A Swann, "Towards detection of the changing North America carbon sink", North American Carbon Program All-Investigators Meeting (San Diego, February 2009)
abstract

NY Krakauer, "Impact of uncertainty in economic projections for stabilization scenarios", AGU Fall Meeting (San Francisco, December 2008)
abstract, slides (PowerPoint, 200 KB)

P Suntharalingam, A Kettle, S Montzka, NY Krakauer, D Jacob, "Constraints from atmospheric measurements on the global budget and seasonal cycle of carbonyl sulfide", EGU General Assembly (Vienna, April 2008)
abstract (PDF)

JC Krakauer, NY Krakauer, V Oberoi, R Gulati, "Frequency of certified clinical densitometrist (CCD) reclassification of fracture risk based on lowest T-score: A multi-specialty clinic's experience", International Society for Clinical Densitometry Annual Meeting (San Francisco, March 2008)
poster (PDF, 100 KB)

NY Krakauer, I Fung, "Recent Trends in USA streamflow: Implications for the water cycle", 2007 Fall AGU Meeting (San Francisco)
poster (PDF, 300 KB)

NY Krakauer, I Fung, "A hot, dry 21st century? Implications of recent trends in USA streamflow", Berkeley Atmopsheric Sciences Center (BASC) Symposium (October 2007)
poster (PDF, 300 KB)

NY Krakauer, "On track of the missing carbon sink: An isotope adventure", DISsertation initiative for the advancement of Climate Change ReSearch (DISCCRS) Symposium (Hawai'i, September 2007)
slides (PDF, 1 MB)

NY Krakauer, "Assigning carbon fluxes to processes using measurements of the isotopic abundance of carbon-14", TransCom meeting (West Lafayette, April 2007)
slides (PowerPoint, 1 MB)

Z Yang, RA Washenfelder, G Keppel-Aleks, PO Wennberg, NY Krakauer, JT Randerson, "New constraints on Northern Hemisphere growing season net flux", North American Carbon Program Investigators Meeting (Colorado Springs, January 2007)
abstract

NY Krakauer, I Fung, "Water-vegetation interaction in Mediterranean climate zones under global warming", 2006 Fall AGU Meeting (San Francisco)
poster (PDF, 200 KB)

NY Krakauer, M Chahine, ET Olsen, Q Li, JT Randerson, ZH Yang, PO Wennberg, "Using upper-air CO₂ measurements to monitor carbon sources and sinks", Graduate Climate Change Conference (Seattle, April 2006)

M Chahine, YL Yung, Q Li, ET Olsen, L Chen, NY Krakauer, "AIRS CO₂ retrievals using the method of vanishing partial derivatives (VPD)", AIRS Science Team Meeting (Pasadena, March 2006)
abstract (PDF, 20 KB)

J Krakauer, NY Krakauer, B Franklin, J Levine, M Kleerekoper, M Karlsson, "DXA-derived body composition barrel index increases over the long term with limited correlation to early changes", International Society for Clinical Densitometry Annual Meeting (San Diego, February 2006)
poster (PDF, 800 KB)

NY Krakauer, X Xu, SE Trumbore, JT Randerson, "Seasonal variation of carbon-14 in atmospheric carbon dioxide at Point Barrow, Alaska: Observations and modeling", 2005 Fall AGU Meeting (San Francisco)
abstract (PDF, 20 KB), poster (PDF, 35 KB)

ZH Yang, NY Krakauer, PO Wennberg, JT Randerson, "Inter-model comparison of carbon flux inversions from simulated column XCO₂", 2005 Fall AGU Meeting (San Francisco)
abstract (PDF, 20 KB)

LF Robinson, JF Adkins, DP Fernandez, DS Burnett, AC Gagnon, NY Krakauer, SL Wang, "Initial and Diagenetic Behaviour of U Isotopes in Corals: Implications for U-series Dating", 2005 Fall AGU Meeting (San Francisco)
abstract (PDF, 20 KB)

NY Krakauer, JT Randerson, FW Primeau, "Carbon-14 constraints on the latitudinal distribution of air-sea gas exchange", Seventh International Carbon Dioxide Conference (Broomfield, September 2005)
extended abstract (PDF, 50 KB), poster (PDF, 70 KB)

ZH Yang, NY Krakauer, PO Wennberg, JT Randerson, "Effect of including aircraft CO₂ profiles in TransCom 3 model inversions of northern hemisphere carbon sink", Seventh International Carbon Dioxide Conference (Broomfield, September 2005)
extended abstract (PDF, 35 KB)

DY Hsueh, JT Randerson, NY Krakauer, X Xu, SE Trumbore, JR Southon, "Regional patterns of fossil fuel CO₂ in the planetary boundary layer across North America", Seventh International Carbon Dioxide Conference (Broomfield, September 2005)
extended abstract (PDF, 90 KB)

NY Krakauer, ZH Yang, JT Randerson, PO Wennberg, "Compatibility of surface and aircraft station networks for inferring carbon fluxes", TransCom Meeting (Paris, June 2005)
PowerPoint slides (200 KB)

ZH Yang, NY Krakauer, JT Randerson, "TransCom 3 Carbon flux inversion using aircraft CO₂ profiles: initial results" Orbiting Carbon Observatory Science Team Meeting (Pasadena, March 2005)
abstract (PDF, 24 KB)

SC Olsen, M Prather, JT Randerson, NY Krakauer, "Evaluating model-observation CO₂ sampling strategies: Implications for the strength of the latitudinal CO₂ gradient",  2004 Fall AGU Meeting (San Francisco)
abstract (PDF, 16 KB), poster (PDF, 700 KB)

X Xu, SE Trumbore, H Ajie, S Tyler, JT Randerson, NY Krakauer, "Atmospheric ¹⁴CO₂ over the mid Pacific Ocean and at Point Barrow, Alaska, USA from 2002 to 2004", 2004 Fall AGU Meeting (San Francisco)
abstract (PDF, 23 KB), poster (PowerPoint, 500 KB)

NY Krakauer, T Schneider, JT Randerson, "Estimating parameters in inversions for regional carbon fluxes",  2004 AGU Joint Assembly (Montréal)
abstract (PDF, 17 KB); PowerPoint slides (650 KB)

J Krakauer, B Franklin, NY Krakauer, J Levine, M Kleerekoper, M Karlsson, "DXA-derived body composition profile (BCP) risk scores and 10-year cardiovascular (CV) mortality", International Society for Clinical Densitometry Annual Meeting (Miami, January 2004)
abstract (UTF-8 text, 2 KB)

NY Krakauer, NV Smith, JT Randerson, "Tree-ring evidence for volcanic eruption effects on temperate and boreal tree net primary productivity",  2003 Fall AGU Meeting (San Francisco)
abstract (PDF, 23 KB); slides  (Powerpoint, 940 KB)

some other presentations

I participated in the Global Sustainability Summer School convened by the Santa Fe Institute in July 2009 to discuss technological and social aspects of a sustainable civilization. Our ideas about research needs in the emerging domain of sustainability science are available here.

"Will this American century be dry? The evidence of the observational record", Earth Science department seminar, Rice University, 17 January 2008
PowerPoint slides (9 MB), PDF (5 MB)

"Atmospheric carbon-14 as a tracer of the contemporary carbon cycle", Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (Livermore), 11 October 2007
PowerPoint slides (8 MB)

"Oxygen triple isotope composition for estimating photosynthesis rates", Climate Group Meeting (Caltech), 25 June 2006
PowerPoint slides (400 KB)

"Characterizing carbon-dioxide fluxes from oceans and terrestrial ecosystems", Caltech (my thesis defense talk!), 19 May 2006
abstract (PDF, 16 KB); PowerPoint slides (7 MB)

"Where is air-sea gas exchange happening? Carbon isotope evidence", Carnegie Institution Department of Global Ecology Seminar (Stanford), 15 Feb 2006
slides (PDF, 2 MB)

"Highlights from the International Carbon Dioxide Conference", Yuk Lunch Seminar (Caltech), 11 Oct 2005
blurb (text, 1 KB)

"Michael Crichton, global warming, and the social role of scientists", Environment and Society Discussion Series (Caltech), 27 Jan 2005
blurb (HTML, 2 KB)

"Some environmental consequences of the information economy", Environment and Society Discussion Series (Caltech), 27 May 2003
PowerPoint slides (100 KB)

"Evidence for the rise in atmospheric oxygen levels", presentation for a geomicrobiology class, Feb 2003
PowerPoint slides (300 KB)

"The Sahara landscape over the Holocene", final presentation for a geomorphology class, Dec 2002
PowerPoint slides (3 MB)