Reid Clark

  • (He/him)
  • Professional Scientist II, Stable Isotope Lab

Stable isotope gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Reid collaborates with a small team of professional scientists to routinely diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair a fleet of dual-inlet and continuous flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometers to produce accurate and precise datasets for over 20,000 air sample measurements annually. 

The carbon and oxygen isotope measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane are used in a 30+ year partnership between INSTAAR and the using NOAA's to study the sources and sinks in the modern-day carbon cycle. 

The INSTAAR Stable Isotope Lab (SIL) has been measuring isotopes of atmospheric methane since 1998, and is the largest methane isotope dataset in the world. Reid has served as the day-to-day lead of the since late-2020.

Prior to his time at INSTAAR, Reid worked in a team of researchers investigating marine sediment paleoclimate archives as analogs to modern-day anthropogenic climate change. He utilized inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy of foraminifera to infer past changes in ocean temperature, acidity, and salinity due to large-scale carbon cycle perturbations during the early Eocene. 

Stable Isotope Lab 

Education

  • B.S. (Earth & Planetary Sciences): University of California Santa Cruz

Awards

  • Magna cum laude, University of California Santa Cruz
  • Highest Honors, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences

Selected publications

Michel, S.E., Clark, J.R., Vaughn, B.H., Crotwell, M., Madronich, M.,Moglia, E., Neff, D., Mund, J. (2022), University of Colorado, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR). . Version: 2022-12-15  DOI 10.15138/9p89-1x02