Digging deep: biological mechanisms of organic carbon sequestration and storage in soil

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Career overview

Professor Caroline Peacock is a Professor of Biogeochemistry at the School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Geoscience and a PhD in Geochemistry, both from the University of Bristol. Her research interests lie in experimental biogeochemistry, focusing on the reactivity and cycling of elements in marine and terrestrial environments. Professor Peacock''s work investigates how element mobility and fate are influenced by interactions with sediment and soil minerals. She employs laboratory experiments, advanced synchrotron techniques, and biogeochemical modelling to explore the interactions between carbon, nutrients, and contaminants in soils and sediments, and their implications for the Earth system across various timescales. In addition to her research, Professor Peacock has held significant leadership roles, including serving as the Academic Lead for the Cohen Geochemistry Labs and the Aqueous Analysis Facility. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to the field, including the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2018-2024) and the European Association of Geochemistry Houtermans Award (2015). Her professional memberships include Vice President of the European Association of Geochemistry and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Professor Peacock is also actively involved in teaching biogeochemistry and Earth system science at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Research interests

Professor Caroline Peacock is an experimental biogeochemist who employs fundamental chemical principles to understand Earth system processes. Her research focuses on the reactivity and cycling of elements in both marine and terrestrial environments, particularly how element mobility and fate are influenced by interactions with sediment and soil minerals. Her group utilises laboratory experiments, advanced synchrotron techniques, and biogeochemical modelling to investigate the interactions between carbon, macro- and micro-nutrients, and contaminants in sediments and soils, and how these interactions regulate the Earth system across various timescales. Professor Peacock''s broad research interests include carbon, macro- and micro-nutrient cycles; the interactions of these elements with minerals; the interplay between mineralogical and microbiological processes; mineralogical controls on the Earth system; and geochemical palaeoproxies.

Career overview

Professor Pippa Chapman holds a chair in Biogeochemistry in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds. She completed her PhD in Hydrochemistry at Imperial College, University of London. Following her doctoral studies, she moved to the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, where she held a NERC Fellowship. Professor Chapman then joined the University of Leeds, where her research has focused on carbon cycling in peatlands and the impact of land management on soil and water quality. Her research activities centre on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem biogeochemistry, particularly the effects of land management, climate change, and atmospheric deposition on carbon and nitrogen cycling in peatlands, organo-mineral soils, and agricultural soils. She emphasises understanding the factors controlling the long-term increase in surface water dissolved organic carbon concentrations, the impacts of peatland restoration on gaseous and aquatic carbon fluxes, and the role of land management practices on the sustainability of agricultural soils.

Research interests

Professor Pippa Chapman''s research focuses on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem biogeochemistry, particularly the impact of land management, climate change, and atmospheric deposition on carbon and nitrogen cycling in peatlands, organo-mineral soils, and agricultural soils. She emphasises understanding the factors controlling the long-term increase in surface water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, the effects of peatland restoration on gaseous and aquatic carbon fluxes, and the role of land management practices on the sustainability of agricultural soils. Her interests include nutrient cycling and transfer from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems, the impact of acid deposition on soil and stream water chemistry, and the influence of land use and management on nitrogen and phosphorus behaviour and storage in soils. Additionally, she investigates the interactions between carbon and other major elements in peatlands, management of peatlands for multiple ecosystem services, and the impact of agricultural practices on soil health and water quality. Professor Chapman is also involved in catchment management and environmental change, focusing on modifying agricultural practices to improve soil resilience to climate change and extreme events.

Career overview

Professor Joseph Holden completed a BA and MA in Geography at the University of Cambridge from 1994 to 1997, followed by a PhD in peatland hydrology at Durham University from 1997 to 2000. He began his academic career as a part-time lecturer in Earth Sciences at Durham University from 1998 to 2002, supporting widening participation and mature students. In 2000, he joined the University of Leeds as a Teaching Fellow, progressing to an Independent NERC Research Fellowship from 2002 to 2005. He became a Lecturer in Physical Geography at Leeds in 2005, was promoted to Reader/Associate Professor in 2006, and became a Full Professor and Chair of Physical Geography in 2007, at which time he was the youngest full Professor in the UK. Since 2008, he has served as the Director of water@leeds and held the position of Pro-Dean for Research & Innovation for the Faculty of Environment from 2013 to 2019. He is currently the UK Freshwater Quality Research Programme Champion from 2022 to 2027. Professor Holden has received notable awards, including the Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2007 and the Gordon Warwick Medal from the British Society for Geomorphology in 2011. He is a Fellow of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Meteorological Society.

Research interests

Professor Holden''s research focuses on the hydrology and carbon dynamics of peatlands under environmental change. He investigates how land management, particularly agriculture, influences flow paths through soils and into watercourses, as well as its effects on hazard cascades such as flooding, wildfires, pollution, slope stability, and drought risk. He currently manages approximately £30 million in active grants and leads the £6 million Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme (iCASP). Additionally, he is the Champion of the £8.4 million NERC Freshwater Quality Research Programme. His research projects include the EU-funded WaterLANDS project on wetland restoration, the West Yorkshire Flood Innovation Programme, and various studies on peatland carbon losses and soil health. Professor Holden is also involved in editing and writing for several major textbooks related to physical geography and water resources.