Meet ARCS Northern California Scholar Sophie Ruehr from the University of California, Berkeley. Some of you might recognize Ruehr from our ARCS Forward event, "Carbon Emissions and Offsets: Global and Local Research." Since this program, Ruehr has continued to focus on ecosystem-scale dynamics of water cycling. She studies the links between the carbon and water cycles over space and time. Her research will have implications for both sustainable water management and predicting future climate change.

ARCS National followed up with Ruehr to ask about her research progress. Read the interview below. 

How did you come to study environmental science, policy, and management?

A college course on remote sensing and earth observation combined my long-standing interests in climate change adaptation and spatial data analysis. Since then, my work has centered on using satellite data to help our society adapt to a changing climate. 

What do you plan to do with your degree and research after graduating?

I will begin a postdoctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institution at Stanford next fall, in which I will continue my work on climate adaptation strategies in managed landscapes. Mentoring students on their research has been a highlight of my PhD, and I plan to continue teaching and research in the future. 

What is water cycling? What processes occur during the cycle?

Water cycling encapsulates all water movement on our planet. Clouds form snow, which falls on mountains; snowmelt feeds rivers, which flow into oceans; and evaporation from oceans creates clouds. These processes are shifting as our climate warms, delivering more or less water to different parts of the system and resulting in more frequent floods and droughts.

What is the link between carbon and water cycles over space and time?

The carbon cycle, like the water cycle, represents flows of carbon into and out of the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere; carbon is absorbed by plants and oceans. In ecosystems, the rate of carbon uptake depends largely on water access. Plants take up less carbon when conditions are too dry or too wet. These links determine where, when, and how much carbon and water move through the Earth system and affect both atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration and regional water availability.

How will your research impact sustainable water management and predict future climate change? 

My work quantifies the effect of sustainable management practices on the carbon and water cycles. To both mitigate and adapt to climate change, I identify strategies that maximize carbon capture while minimizing water loss. My recent work has focused on the effect of sustainable agricultural management practices on irrigation efficiency. 

How has ARCS helped your academic or professional career?

ARCS has been instrumental in my professional and academic development. Through ARCS, I have been able to devote the majority of my time to pursuing my academic interests and developing my research skills, which have prepared me well for my future career steps.