Daniel O Breecker

Daniel O Breecker is a Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin. He holds the Dave P. Carlton Centennial Professorship in Geology. His research focuses on the Earth's critical zone, particularly calcium carbonate formation in soils/caves and organic carbon stabilization, with applications to paleoclimate proxies and carbon cycle dynamics.

Research interests integrate hydrology, soil science, plant physiology, and paleoclimatology. He teaches Physical Geology and Environmental Isotope Geochemistry. The Breecker Lab specializes in stable isotope biogeochemistry, examining interactions between lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere.

Notable scientific contributions include the Paleosol Barometer Uncertainty Quantification (PBUQ) framework, published in 2013, which addresses CO2 proxy accuracy. Advising spans numerous PhD/Master’s students, including Nicole Czwakiel (current) and alumni like Peter Carlson (2018) and Sol Cooperdock (2017). The lab also hosts postdocs and undergraduate researchers.

• Awards: Centennial Professorship in Geology (Fellow).
• Labs/Teams: Director of the Breecker Lab, focusing on environmental isotope geochemistry.