About
Our research group has an opening for a research scientist! Learn more here.
Our research group has an opening for an undergraduate researcher! Learn more.
A huge congratulations to our undergraduate researchers Maggie Scholer and Katie Hall on winning the Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship in STEM! https://goldwaterscholarship.gov

Welcome to the University of Rochester Ice Core and Atmospheric Chemistry Lab website. Here you can find information about our research, the members of our research group, and the facilities we have in our laboratory.
Please follow our expedition blog for information about our field campaigns!






Recent Publications
Menking, J.A., Shackleton, S.A., Bauska, T.K., Buffen, A.M., Brook, E.J., Barker, S., Severinghaus, J.P., Dyonisius, M.N., Petrenko, V.V. 2022. Multiple carbon cycle mechanisms associated with the glaciation of Marine Isotope Stage 4. Nature Communications, 13:5443, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33166-3.
Dyonisius, M., Petrenko, V., Smith, A., Hmiel, B., Neff, P., Yang, B., Hua, Q., Schmitt, J., Shackleton, S., Buizert, C., Place, P., Menking, J., Beaudette, R., Harth, C., Kalk, M., Roop, H., Bereiter, B., Armanetti, C., Vimont, I., Michel, S. E., Brook, E., Severinghaus , J., Weiss, R., McConnell, J. 2022. Using ice core measurements from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica to calibrate in situ cosmogenic 14 C production rates by muons. The Cryosphere Discussions, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-375.
Faïn, X., Rhodes, R.H., Place, P., Petrenko, V.V., Fourteau, K., Chellman, N., Crosier, E., McConnell, J.R., Brook, E.J., Blunier, T., Legrand, M., Chappellaz, J. 2022. Northern Hemisphere atmospheric history of carbon monoxide since preindustrial times reconstructed from multiple Greenland ice cores. Climate of the Past, 18, 631 – 647, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-631-2022.
Shackleton, S., Menking, J.A., Brook, E., Buizert, C., Dyonisius, M.N.,Petrenko, V.V., Baggenstos, D., and Severinghaus, J.P. 2021. Evolution of mean ocean temperature in Marine Isotope Stage 4. Climate of the Past, 17, 2273–2289. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2273-2021.
Kazemi, R. Schlageter, W., Hmiel, B., Weber, T.S., Murray, L.T., Petrenko, V.V. 2021. Investigating methane emissions from geologic microseepage in Western New York State, United States. Elementa, 9: 1. https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article/9/1/00066/117169/Investigating-methane-emissions-from-geologic
Petrenko, V.V., A.M. Smith, E.M. Crosier, R. Kazemi, P. Place, A. Colton, B. Yang, Q. Hua, L.T. Murray. 2021. An improved method for atmospheric 14CO measurements. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 14, 2055–2063. https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/14/2055/2021/.
Aydin, M., G. L. Britten, S. A. Montzka, C. Buizert, F. Primeau, V.V. Petrenko, M. B. Battle, M. R. Nicewonger, J. Patterson, B. Hmiel, and E. S. Saltzman. 2020. Anthropogenic Impacts on Atmospheric Carbonyl Sulfide Since the 19th Century Inferred From Polar Firn Air and Ice Core Measurements. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 125, e2020JD033074. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020JD033074
Menking, J.A., Brook, E.J., Schilt, A. Shackleton, S., Dyonisius, M., Severinghaus, J.P., Petrenko, V.V. 2020. Millennial‐Scale Changes in Terrestrial and Marine Nitrous Oxide Emissions at the Onset and Termination of Marine Isotope Stage 4. Geophysical Research Letters, 47, e2020GL089110. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020GL089110
Shackleton, S. , Baggenstos, D., Menking, J.A., Dyonisius, M.N., Bereiter, B., Bauska, T.K., Rhodes, R.H., Brook, E.J., , Petrenko, V.V., McConnell, J.R., Kellerhals, T., Häberli, M., Schmitt, J., , Fischer, H. and Severinghaus, J.P. 2020. Global ocean heat content in the Last Interglacial. Nature Geoscience, 13, 77-81. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-019-0498-0.
M. N. Dyonisius, V. V. Petrenko, A. M. Smith, Q. Hua, B. Yang, J. Schmitt, J. Beck, B. Seth, M. Bock, B. Hmiel, I. Vimont, J. A. Menking, S. A. Shackleton, D. Baggenstos, T. K. Bauska, R. H. Rhodes, P. Sperlich, R. Beaudette, C. Harth, M. Kalk, E. J. Brook, H. Fischer, J. P. Severinghaus, R. F. Weiss. 2020. Old carbon reservoirs were not important in the deglacial methane budget. Science. 367, 907-910. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/367/6480/907.abstract
B. Hmiel, V.V Petrenko, M.N. Dyonisius, C. Buizert, A.M. Smith, P.F. Place, C. Harth, R. Beaudette, Q. Hua, B. Yang, I. Vimont, S.E. Michel, J.P. Severinghaus, D. Etheridge, T. Bromley, J. Schmitt, X. Faïn, R.F. Weiss, E.J. Dlugokencky, Preindustrial 14CH4 indicates greater anthropogenic fossil CH4 emissions, Nature. 2020 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-1991-8
Recent News
Humans are a bigger source of climate-altering methane, new studies suggest: Science Magazine article on Michael's Science paper. February 2020.
Old Carbon reservoirs unlikely to cause massive greenhouse gas release: Article on Michael's Science paper. February 2020.
Natural gas is much 'dirtier' energy souce than we thought: National Geographic article on Ben's Nature paper. February 2020.
Oil and Gas May Be a Far Bigger Climate Threat Than We Knew: New York Times article on Ben's Nature paper. February 2020.
Antarctic scientists begin hunt for sky’s ‘detergent’: Nature Article on upcoming Law Dome Project, November 2018
Antarctic ice mission seeks mystery molecules that scrub sky: Article on upcoming Law Dome Project, October 2018
Could the key to reversing climate change lie beneath the Antarctic? Scientists will drill 800ft deep holes in ice sheets to find a mystery 'detergent' that could clean the air of harmful greenhouse gases: Daily Mail article on upcoming Law Dome Project, October 2018
"Why does ice make that sound?": An analysis of the sound in Peter's ice drop video, April 2018
Viral video of ice dropping into a borehole originally tweeted by Peter, February 2018.