Neal Blair

Neal Blair is a Professor at Northwestern University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, also affiliated with Earth and Planetary Sciences. His research focuses on carbon biogeochemistry across scales, particularly the behavior of organic carbon in soils, sediments, and river systems. He examines decomposition pathways, sequestration mechanisms, and human impacts on lateral carbon transport, including agriculture and climate change effects. The Carbon Biogeochemistry Laboratory, led by Blair, investigates these processes using advanced techniques like stable isotope analysis and biomarker heatmaps. Recent projects include converting waste streams such as coffee grounds and chitin into biofuels.

Education includes a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Stanford University and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Maryland.

Research interests emphasize understanding the horizontal carbon cycle's vulnerability to human activities, tracking sedimentary organic carbon from upland sources to marine burial sites, and exploring subduction zone dynamics. Key focuses include storm-pulse responses in fluvial systems, the role of fungal macromolecules in soil carbon storage, and the development of critical zone observatories in intensively managed agricultural landscapes.

• Selected scientific contributions include studies on CO2 flux biases in agricultural soils, the impact of tile drains on carbon transport, and the application of '-omics' methods to biomarker data.
• Labs: Blair Lab Group and the Carbon Biogeochemistry Laboratory.