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Chris Osburn

@closburn.bsky.social

220 followers 360 following 40 posts

Professor of Marine Biogeochemistry and PI of the OsburnLab. Director of the Blue Economy Innovation Program at NC State University. I study the C-SAW: Carbon Saturation and Weather among other things involving organic matter and other elements.

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Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Nov 24

As a carbon #biogeochemist who is mostly aquatic and focused on organic matter I love being able to dust off my min/pet brain cells and consider a change in focus area.

Geoengineering Info @geoengineering1.bsky.social · Nov 22

NEW PAPER—Suitability of rocks, minerals, and cement waste for CO2 removal via enhanced rock weathering

Read the study here:
www.nature.com/articles/s42...

#CDR #ERW

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · 2d

Physical Oceanographers! Come join us in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at NC State University.
Job posting now live: jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/223... 🌊

Assistant Professor

The Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences (MEAS) at North Carolina State University seeks to fill a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in physical oceanog...

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Aug 20

Can I Say - Dag Nasty

Reposted by Chris Osburn

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Jul 14

Scientists have followed unwritten guidelines for their conduct for hundreds of years. These norms act as guiding principles for science and reasons it should be trusted.

The 6 principles, from universalism to humility:
theconversation.com/scientific-n...

Scientific norms shape the behavior of researchers working for the greater good

While rarely explicitly taught to scientists in training, a set of common values guides science in the quest to advance knowledge while being ethical and trustworthy.

theconversation.com

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Jun 27

Important context lacking here, @grist.org, despite the clear problems for water quality related to post effects from wildfires. /end

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Jun 27

....with the potential for dramatic increases in magnitude up to 300 times pre-fire levels."

Brucker, et al. (2025) doi.org/10.1038/s432...

The article very clearly communicates the post-wildfire problem of elevated concentrations for water treatment. /4

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Jun 27

The referenced article's perspective is from water treatment... "In particular, water utilities may consider the longevity and magnitude of the post-fire responses identified in this study as possible benchmarks—preparing for 1–8 years of elevated constituent loads following a wildfire event... /3

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Jun 27

Yes, too much of a "good thing" can be bad for water quality and both excess organic carbon and phosphorus lead to eutrophication and other problems. That is, the high concentrations can be problematic, as stated, but to lump organic carbon and phosphorus in with "pollutants" is misleading. 2/

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Jun 27

Neither organic carbon nor phosphorous are pollutants without the proper context. Ecosystems need both, and at least from the organic carbon perspective the type of the carbon matters. Different types of organic carbon react differently in natural waters.

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient! 1/

Grist @grist.org · Jun 27

Pollution from wildfires can contaminate our water for up to 8 years, study finds.

An analysis of 500 watersheds found levels of organic carbon, phosphorus, and other pollutants up to 103 times higher after a wildfire.

grist.org/wildfires/po...

#Wildfire #Pollution #Environment #Climate #Policy

Pollution from wildfires can contaminate our water for up to 8 years, study finds

An analysis of 500 watersheds found levels of organic carbon, phosphorus, and other pollutants up to 103 times higher after a wildfire.

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Jun 20

Ocean water is changing colors, getting warmer: Study coastalreview.org/2025/06/ocea...

Ocean water is changing colors, getting warmer: Study | Coastal Review

Duke researchers used more than two decades' worth of satellite data collected by a NASA instrument that scans the globe every two days to analyze the changing colors of the open ocean, which could ha...

coastalreview.org

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Jun 11

What a great way to celebrate #BlackFlagDay this weekend - I will create my ideal set list for this line-up.

Punk Rock History @punkrockhistory.bsky.social · Jun 11

42 years ago today
Black Flag, Misfits and The Vandals - Santa Monica Civic Auditorium - June 11, 1983

#punk #punks #punkrock #hardcorepunk #blackflag #misfits #thevandals #history #punkrockhistory #otd

Reposted by Chris Osburn

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · Jun 6

In recent years, rainfall flooding has overtaken storm surge as the leading cause of death in tropical cyclones—and climate change is poised to make the rain worse, @marinakoren.bsky.social reported last year:

An Alarming New Trend in Hurricane Deaths

The biggest threat from tropical cyclones is no longer storm surge but rains like those dumped by Helene on North Carolina.

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · May 29

As a geek myself I had a lot of fun presenting in the @wclivestream.bsky.social - many thanks to the organizers and hosts! Get out there and rally to support critical weather and climate research.

Andrew Freedman @afreedma.bsky.social · May 27

Weather and climate scientists determined to resist funding and program cuts in the geekiest way possible - with a 100-hour livestream of science presentations www.cnn.com/scientists-r...

Climate and weather scientists are joining the anti-Trump resistance in the most ‘scientist-iest’ way | CNN

In the face of steep funding cuts for climate and weather research and forecasting, scientists have found a new way of engaging the public.

Reposted by Chris Osburn

Andrew Freedman @afreedma.bsky.social · May 27

Weather and climate scientists determined to resist funding and program cuts in the geekiest way possible - with a 100-hour livestream of science presentations www.cnn.com/scientists-r...

Climate and weather scientists are joining the anti-Trump resistance in the most ‘scientist-iest’ way | CNN

In the face of steep funding cuts for climate and weather research and forecasting, scientists have found a new way of engaging the public.

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · May 28

I'll be talking about carbon saturation and weather (#CSAW) in the coastal zone tomorrow bright and early at 0500 EDT (0900 GMT)! Grab a coffee and support forecasting for weather, water quality, public health, and biogeochemistry.🌊

The Weather & Climate Livestream @wclivestream.bsky.social · May 27

Our 💯 hours to #SaveAmericasForecasts starts tomorrow!

Tune in to hear over 200+ US meteorologists and climate scientists share the importance of federally funded weather and climate research!

wclivestream.com

Reposted by Chris Osburn

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · May 9

Federal research funding isn’t just for the benefit of scientists.

A key part of many NSF grants requires researchers to share their findings with the public, including K-12 students. This “broader impacts” component helps make science more accessible while benefiting society🧪

Basic research advances science, and can also have broader impacts on modern society

Basic research that doesn’t have a specific industrial or experimental application still adds value outside the lab by engaging people with exciting research.

Reposted by Chris Osburn

Eero Asmala @eeroasmala.bsky.social · May 6

Happy to share our new paper in Biogeochemistry!

We show that CDOM changes at low salinities due to flocculation, potentially making it a less reliable tracer in estuaries. We also introduce a new fluorescence metric: the red shift ratio.

🔗 link.springer.com/article/10.1...

@closburn.bsky.social

Optical transformation of riverine colored dissolved organic matter during salt-induced flocculation - Biogeochemistry

Flocculation of riverine dissolved organic matter (DOM) in estuaries is crucial for transforming and removing terrestrial carbon inputs across the land-to-ocean aquatic continuum. We measured variatio...

link.springer.com

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Apr 30

The cuffed jeans and, basely, the flip fops, are glorious. Style and ease like no other. And in Copenhagen no less.

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Apr 28

Historian David Cecelski: Carolina coast still worth the fight coastalreview.org/2025/04/lear...

Historian David Cecelski: Carolina coast still worth the fight | Coastal Review

The recent shackling of the Environmental Protection Agency “foreshadows the breathtaking descent back into the worst days of our coastal past, when our estuaries, our beaches, our fisheries and the s...

coastalreview.org

Reposted by Chris Osburn

Jay Austin @jaustinumd.bsky.social · Apr 20

I'm proud to say that I was a co-author on the last National Climate Assessment (NCA5). I'm sad to say it looks like I was a co-author on the LAST National Climate Assessment.
www.npr.org/2025/04/20/n....

Trump administration cancels the National Climate Assessment

The Trump administration has halted work on the National Climate Assessment. It's the most comprehensive source of information about how climate change affects the U.S.

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Mar 6

He’s #wavingcane to make good trouble

Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · Mar 6

The semiotics of Al Green waving his cane around.

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Feb 21

I am looking forward to this exhibit celebrating North Carolina's diverse #blueeconomy!
African Americans in seafood industry heart of new exhibit coastalreview.org/2025/02/afri...

African Americans in seafood industry heart of new exhibit | Coastal Review

The exhibit debuting March 9 on Harkers Island features the ongoing NC Catch initiative that highlights African Americans in the state seafood industry.

coastalreview.org

Reposted by Chris Osburn

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Feb 18

Why is water different colors in different places? An engineering professor explains:

Why is water different colors in different places?

Blue, green orange, brown − water comes in many colors, depending on what’s in it.

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Feb 12

🌊 - Probably more than ever this is an important point.
‘Words matter’: Accepted ‘pocosin’ definition unsupported coastalreview.org/2025/02/word...

'Words matter': Accepted 'pocosin' definition unsupported | Coastal Review

Duke University researcher Dr. Ryan Emanuel has found no documented evidence behind the long-used English translation of the Eastern Algonquian as a "swamp on a hill."

coastalreview.org

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Jan 10

Probably one of the most fun albums to play along on bass. (Or try to…)

Chris Osburn @closburn.bsky.social · Dec 25

Same to you and best for 2025! Thanks for what you do with Punk Rock History! 🙏