Nick Gabriel

Determining the relationship between the optical properties and surface geochemistry of mineral dust emissions from southern Africa's source regions

Nick Gabriel is a DPhil candidate in Environmental Research at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford. His work investigates the environmental and climatic impacts of atmospheric mineral dust, with a focus on constraining the relationship between surface geochemistry and aerosol optical properties over Southern Africa’s dust source regions. His research combines remote sensing, fieldwork, and computer modelling to improve understanding of how mineral dust influences climate systems at regional and global scales. He is a member of the Landscape Dynamics Research Cluster and is currently supported by the Mortimer May Senior Scholarship.

Alongside his research, Nick is a Stipendiary Lecturer in Physical Geography at Worcester College, where he teaches across the BA Geography programme. Prior to his doctoral studies, Nick completed a BA in Geography at Brasenose College, University of Oxford, where he held an exhibition scholarship from 2019 to 2022. During his undergraduate degree, he conducted research at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, independently developing a research project to track the seasonal evolution of low-albedo surface features on Mars linked to the sublimation of the southern carbon dioxide ice cap. Alongside his academic work, he has gained experience in environmental consultancy, renewable energy, and weather forecasting, working across both private sector and research organisations.