Marcelo Ketzer

I am a professor in environmental science with focus on sedimentary geochemistry at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science. My current research interests are on the chemistry of sediments and soils (and related pore waters and gases) in their pristine state and when altered by human activities. I am also interested in the relationships between life and chemistry in geological environments.

Teaching

I am involved in teaching geosciences, climate change, and environmental science in the Environmental Analyst Programme (undergraduate level) and in the Environmental Science and Sustainability Programme (master level). Both programmes are in the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences.

Research

I am participating of several research projects with focus on the response of natural systems to climate change. We are investigating, for instance, how climate change may affect biogeochemical cycles (e.g., methane) in sediments of the Baltic Sea and, therefore, how environmental conditions may be modified in the future. Understanding the natural systems and how they are affected by climate change will be important to plan for remediation actions in a global warming scenario. Another important consequence of climate change to the marine environment is the stability of large reservoirs of methane trapped as gas hydrates in deep sea. The stability of such systems is sensitive to glacial- interglacial changes in water pressure (sea-level) and temperature, but also to the poorly understood dynamics of venting structures observed to release gas to the oceans. An improved understanding of gas release over time is of wide scientific and social relevance, due to its impacts on global carbon budgets, marine life, seabed slope stability and resource assessments. I am participating of research projects in the Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea and Mediterranean Sea.