ROBERT A. BERNER Back to G&G Department
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Alan M. Bateman Professor of Geology and Geophysics Emeritus
 
  • Honors 
  • Current Research 
  • Publications 
  • Address and E-mail 
  • Music compositions 1952-2007 
    		•
    Earth Surface Geochemistry, Biogeochemistry, and
    Mathematical Modeling of Geochemical Cycles

    Honors:

  • Member of National Academy of Sciences
  • Doctor Honoris Causa, Universite Aix-Marseille (France), 1991
  • Huntsman Medal in Oceanography (Canada), 1993
  • Goldschmidt Medal (Geochemical Society), 1995
  • Arthur L. Day Medal (Geological Society of America), 1996
  • Murchinson Medal (Geological Society-London), 1996

    •  

    Current Research:

    1. Computer modeling of the carbon and sulfur cycles with emphasis on the evolution of atmospheric CO2 and O2. 2. The effect of CO2 on paleoclimate and of O2 on biological evolution, 3. The role of plants in rock weathering as it affects atmospheric CO2. 4. Weathering of organic matter in ancient shales as a control on atmospheric O2

     

    Recent Publications:



    Beerling, D.J. and Berner, R.A., 2001, Impact of a Permo-Carboniferous high O2 event on the terrestrial carbon cycle. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. v. 97, p. 12428-12432.

    Berner, R.A., 2001, Modeling Atmospheric O2 over Phanerozoic Time, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, v.65, 685-694.

    Berner, R.A. and Kothavala, Z., 2001, GEOCARB III: A revised model of atmospheric CO2 over Phanerozoic time. Am. J. Sci., v. 301, p. 182-204.

    Crowley, T.J. and Berner, R.A., 2001, CO2 and climate change. Science, v. 292, p. 870-872.

    Royer, D.L., Berner, R.A. and Beerling, D.J., 2001, Phanerozoic atmospheric CO2 change: evaluating geochemical and paleobiological approaches. Earth Sci. Rev., v. 54, p. 349-392.

    Berner, R.A., 2002, Examination of hypotheses for the Permo-Triassic booundary extinction by carbon cycle modeling. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. v. 99, p. 4172-4177.

    Beerling, D.J., J.A. Lake, R.A. Berner, D.W. Taylor, L. J. Hickey. and Royer, D.L 2002. Isotopic evidence for a Permo-Carboniferous High-oxygen event Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v.66, p. 3757-3767.

    Schrag, D.P., Berner, R.A., Hoffman, P.F. and Halverson, G.P. 2002, On the Initiation of a Snowball Earth, G cubed,v.3, no. 6 ,21pp (electronic). Beerling, D.J. and Berner, R.A., 2002, Biogeochemical constraints on the Triassic-Jurassic boundary carbon cycle event Global Biogeochemical Cycles, v.16, no.3, 13pp (electronic)

    Kauffman, S.J, Royer, D.L., Chang, S.B., and Berner, R.A., 2003, Export of chloride after clear-cutting in the Hubbard Brook sandbox experiment Biogeochemistry 63, 23-33.

    Kolowith, L.C. and Berner, R.A., 2003, Weathering of phosphorus in black shales. Global. Biogeochem. Cycles 16, 871-878.

    Berner, R.A., Beerling, D.J., Dudley, R,, Robinson, J.M. and Wildman, R.A., 2003, Phanerozoic atmospheric oxygen. Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 31, 105-134.

    Berner, E.K., Berner, R.A. and Moulton, K.L., 2003, Plants and mineral weathering: present and past. Treatise on Geochemistry, v.5, p.

    Berner, R.A., 2003, The long-term carbon cycle, fossil fuels and atmospheric composition. Nature, v. 426, 323-326..

    Berner, R.A., 2003, The rise of trees and their effects on Paleozoic atmospheric CO2 and O2.. Comptes Rendus Geoscience, v. 335, p. 1173-1177.

    Berner, R.A., 2004, The Phanerozoic Carbon Cycle: CO2 and O2 (book, 150 p)

    Royer, D. L., Berner, R.A., Montanez, I.P.,Tabor, N.J. and Beerling, D.J., 2004, CO2 as a primary driver of Phanerozoic climate. GSA Today, v. 14. p. 4-10.

    Wildman,, R.A., Hickey, L.J., Dickinson, M.B., Berner, R.A., Robinson, J.M., Dietrich, M., Essenhigh, R.H., and Wildman, C.B., 2004 Burning of forest materials under Late Paleozoic high atmospheric oxygen levels, Geology v. 32, p. 457-460.

    Wildman, R.A., Berner, R.A., Petsch, S.T., Bolton, E.W., Eckert, J.O., Mok, U. and Evans, J.B., 2004, The weathering of sedimentary organic matter as a control on atmospheric O2: I. Analysis of a black shale, Am. J. Sci., v. 304, p. 234-249.

    Berner, R.A., 2004, A model for calcium, magnesium and sulfate in seawater over Phanerozoic time. Am. J. Sci., v.304, p.438-453.

    Beerling, D.J. and Berner, R.A., 2005, Feedbacks and the co-evolutiuon of plants and atmospheric CO2. Proc. Natl. Acxad. Sci. v. 102. p. 1302-1305. .

    Berner, R.A., 2005, The Carbon and Sulfur Cycles and Atmospheric Oxygen from Middle Permian to Middle Triassic. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. v. 69, p..3211-3217.

    Berner, R.A., 2006, GEOCARBSULF: A combined model for Phanerozoic atmospheric O2 and CO2. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta , v.70, p. 5653-5664

    Bolton, E.W., Berner, R.A. and Petsch, S.T., 2006. The weathering of sedimentary organic matter as a control on atmospheric O2:II.Theoretical modeling, Am. Jour. Sci., v.306, p. 575-615.

    Berner,R.A., 2006, Inclusion of weathering of volcanic rocks in the GECARBSULF model. Am. J. Sci. v. 306. p. 295-302.

    Ward. P.D., Labandeira, C. Laurin, M. and Berner, R.A. 2006. Confirmation of Romer's gap as a low oxygen interval constraining the timing of initial arthropod and vertebrate terrestrialization. Proc. Natl. Acd Sci, v.103, p. 16818-16822.

    Berner, R.A., 2007, Volcanic degassing necessary to produce a CaCO3 undersaturated ocean at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. Paeleogeog., Paeleoclim.. Paeleoecol. V. 244, p. 368-373.

    Royer, D.L, Berner, R.A. and Park, J. 2007, Climate sensitivity constrained by CO2 concentrations over the past 420 million years. Nature, v.446, p. 530-532.

    Berner, R.A., VandenBrooks, J.M. and Ward, P.D., 2007. Oxygen and evolution. Science v. 316, p. 557-558.

     

    Address:

      
      Prof. Robert A. Berner 
      Yale Geology Dept.
      P.O. Box 208109
      New Haven, CT  06520-8109
      (203)432-3183
      email me