Mhairi Coyle

Greenhouse Gas and Carbon Dynamics Researcher
Environmental and Biochemical Sciences
T: 07816155104
My area of expertise is in measuring the land-atmosphere exchange of gases, in particular the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and water-vapour. In the past I specialised in ground-level ozone: measuring its exchange; modelling deposition; studying its climate and temporal trends across  the UK. While I have also worked on subjects such as: basic meteorology; acid deposition; NH3 exchange;  Chemical Ionisation Mass Spectrometery (CIMS); design and construction of instrumentation.

I joined the James Hutton Institute in June 2018 to work on greenhouse gas dynamics, with a focus on peatbogs across Scotland. We now run a network of ten eddy-covariance flux towers across Scotland (SCO2FLUX) which represent peatlands in various condition from a relatively undisturbed site, eroded mountain top, eroded maritime, grassland on peat and forest to bog restoration. Most sites measure CO2, H2O flux and Ch4 along with core meteorological and pedological measurements that aid interpretation of the former.

I also work (part-time) for UKCEH where I still pursue some studies ozone as well as managing another GHG-EC site on forested peatland near Dumfries.

Past research

Evans, C.D., Peacock, M., Baird, A.J. et al. Overriding water table control on managed peatland greenhouse gas emissions. Nature (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03523-1

Clifton, O. E., Fiore, A. M., Massman, W. J., Baublitz, C. B., Coyle, M., Emberson, L., et al. (2020). Dry deposition of ozone over land: processes, measurement, and modeling. Reviews of Geophysics, 58, e2019RG000670. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019RG000670

T. Archibald, J. L. Neu, Y. F. Elshorbany, O. R. Cooper, P. J. Young, H. Akiyoshi, R. A. Cox, M. Coyle, R. G. Derwent, M. Deushi, A. Finco, G. J. Frost, I. E. Galbally, G. Gerosa, C. Granier, P. T. Griffiths, R. Hossaini, L. Hu, P. Jöckel, B. Josse, M. Y. Lin, M. Mertens, O. Morgenstern, M. Naja, V. Naik, S. Oltmans, D. A. Plummer, L. E. Revell, A. Saiz-Lopez, P. Saxena, Y. M. Shin, I. Shahid, D. Shallcross, S. Tilmes, T. Trickl, T. J. Wallington, T. Wang, H. M. Worden, G. Zeng. (2020). Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report: A critical review of changes in the tropospheric ozone burden and budget from 1850 to 2100 Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene (2020) 8 (1): 034.

Cowan, P. Levy, J. Maire, M. Coyle, S.R. Leeson, D. Famulari, M. Carozzi, E. Nemitz, U. Skiba (2020) An evaluation of four years of nitrous oxide fluxes after application of ammonium nitrate and urea fertilisers measured using the eddy covariance method, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Volume 280, 2020, 107812, ISSN 0168-1923, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.107812

Coyle Mhairi; Cape John N.; Flechard Chris; Fowler David; Helfter Carole; Jones Matthew; Kentisbeer John; Leeson Sarah R.; Leith Ian D.; Mullinger Neil; Nemitz Eiko; Roberts Elin; Simmons Ivan; Storeton-West Robert; Twigg Marsailidh; van Dijk Netty; 2018, Meteorological measurements at Auchencorth Moss from 1995 to 2016. Geoscience Data Journal

Finco Angelo; Coyle Mhairi; Nemitz Eiko; Marzuoli Riccardo; Chiesa Maria; Loubet Benjamin; Fares Silvano; Diaz-Pines Eugenio; Gasche Rainer; Gerosa Giacomo; 2018, Characterization of ozone deposition to a mixed oak–hornbeam forest – flux measurements at five levels above and inside the canopy and their interactions with nitric oxide. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18, 17945-17961

Cowan N.; Helfter C.; Langford B.; Coyle M.; Levy P.; Moxley J.; Simmons I.; Leeson S.; Nemitz E.; Skiba U.; 2018, Seasonal fluxes of carbon monoxide from an intensively grazed grassland in Scotland. Atmospheric Environment, 194, 170-178

Journals

Technical / contract reports

Conference posters / abstracts