Ellen R.M. Druffel

Picture of Ellen R.M. Druffel
Fred Kavli Professor, Earth System Science
School of Physical Sciences
Adjunct Professor - Research Associate, IOD, Scripps, UCSD
Co-Director, Keck Carbon Cycle Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Lab
Ph.D., U.C. San Diego, Chemistry
B.S., Loyola Marymount University, Chemistry
Phone: (949) 824-3286
Fax: (949) 824-3874
Email: edruffel@uci.edu
University of California, Irvine
Croul Hall 3222
Mail Code: 3100
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Changes in past ocean circulation and ventilation; sources and cycling of marine dissolved and particulate carbon using AMS
Academic Distinctions
American Institute of Chemists Award, 1975
Macelwane Medal, AGU, 1990
Fellow of AGU, AAAS and The Oceanography Society
Hall of Fame, Loyola Marymount Univ. 2001
Ruth Patrick Award, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, 2004
UCI NSF Advance Chair, 2003-2008
Fred Kavli Chair of Earth System Science 2013 - present
Revelle Medal, AGU, 2016
Research Abstract
The goals of my research group are twofold. First, we aspire to understand why the 14C age of marine dissolved organic carbon is thousands of years old, despite the fact that most of it is produced recently in the surface ocean during photosynthesis. Second, how has circulation changed in the tropical Pacific during the past millennium? We use accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and preparative capillary gas chromatography (PCGC) to measure radiocarbon in samples as small as 2µg C to date the time since C was last in contact with the atmosphere. We study coral from the Pacific and Atlantic to reconstruct seasonal-to-annual records of isotopes that lend themselves well to reconstruction of past temperature, salinity and upwelling strength in surface waters.

Recent doctoral students in our group include Steve Beaupré (2007, moving to SUNY Stony Brook as Professor) and Lori Ziolkowski (2009, Professor at University of South Carolina).
Publications
Walker, B.D., S. R. Beaupré, S. Griffin, J. Walker, E.R.M. Druffel, X. Xu, (2021). Sealed-tube method for offline ?13C analysis of CO2 via a Gas Bench II continuous flow IRMS. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, doi/10.1002/rcm.9040.
Walker, B.D., S.R. Beaupré, S. Griffin and E.R.M. Druffel (2019). UV photochemical oxidation and extraction of marine dissolved organic carbon at UC Irvine: status, surprises, and methodological recommendations. Radiocarbon, doi:10.1017/RDC.2019.9
Vonk, J.E., N.J. Drenzek, K.A. Hughen, R.H.R. Stanley, C. McIntyre, D.B. Montlucon, L. Giosan, J.R. Southon, G.M. Santos, E.R.M. Druffel, A.A. Andersson, M. Skold, and T.E. Eglinton (2018). Temporal deconvolution of vascular plant-derived fatty acids exported from terrestrial watersheds Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 244, 502-521 doi:10.1016/j.gca.2018.09.034.
Fatayer, S., A.I. Coppola, F. Schulz, B.D. Walker, T.A. Broek, G. Meyer, E.R.M. Druffel, M. McCarthy and L. Gross (2018). Direct visualization of individual aromatic compound structures in low molecular weight marine dissolved organic carbon. Geophysical Research Letters 45 (11) 5590-5598 doi:10.1029/2018GL077457.
Druffel, E.R.M., S. Griffin, * N. Wang and B.D. Walker (2018). Temporal variability of dissolved organic radiocarbon in the deep North Pacific Ocean. Radiocarbon 60 doi/10.1017/RDC.2018.39.
Ding, L., T. Ge, H. Gao, C. Luo, E.R.M. Druffel, and X. Wang (2018). Large variability of dissolved inorganic radiocarbon in the Kuroshio Extension of the northwest North Pacific. Radiocarbon 60 doi/10.1017/RDC.2017.143.
Katz, S., Osterholz, H., Barton, R., Druffel, E.R.M, Gao, X., Masiello, C.A. Santin, C., Serafim, T.S.G., Wagner, S., Zabel, M., Lohmann, R. (2025). Changes in pyrogenic tracers over the last 15,000 years in the Congo River Catchment through multi-method analysis, Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences, https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JG008772.
Hansell, D.A., C.R. German, C.A. Carlson, E.R.M. Druffel, W.J. Jenkins, S.Q. Lang, B.M. Toner (2025). Hydrothermally induced refractory DOC sinks in the deep Pacific Ocean. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 39 (9) https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GB008659.
Chu, Mengfan, Rui Bao, Michael Strasser, Ken Ikehara, Yang Ding, Kejian Liu, Mingzhi Liu, Li Xu, Yonghong Wang, Piero Bellanova, Troy Rasbury, Martin Koelling, Natascha Riedinger, Min Luo, Christian März, Kana Jitsuno, Zhirong Cai, Cecilia McHugh, Ronnie N. Glud, Ellen Druffel (2025). Unrecognized dissolved organic carbon sink in the west Pacific hadal zones. Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55883-1
Williams, B. S., Barnes, M. Knaak, E.R.M. Druffel, M. McCarthy, G. Pugsley, N. Vokhshoori, J. Fiechter, J. P. Etnoyer and C. Caldow (2025). Gorgonian corals reveal heterogeneity in changing Southern California oceanography. Marine Environmental Research, 204, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.106954.
Lewis, C.B., B.D. Walker and E.R.M. Druffel (2024). Stable carbon isotopic composition of dissolved organic matter reveals selective microbial remineralization in the global ocean, Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1029/2023GL107684.
Coppola, A.I., E.R.M. Druffel, T.A. Broek, N. Haghipour, T.I. Eglinton, M. McCarthy and B.D. Walker (2024). Variable ageing and storage of marine dissolved black carbon, PNAS doi/10.1073/pnas.2305030121.
Paterne, M., E.R.M. Druffel, T.P. Guilderson, D. Blamart, C. Moreau, J. Accardo and N. Feuillet (2023). Pulses of South Atlantic Water into the tropical North Atlantic since 1825 from coral isotopes, Science Advances, 9, eadi1687 15 December 2023.
Rhu, Y., H. Han, T. Na, G. Kim, E.R.M. Druffel and J. Hwang (2023). Transport of aged dissolved organic carbon along the surface current revealed by 14C analysis in the East Sea (Japan Sea). Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1029/2023GL105296
Druffel, E.R.M., * C.B. Lewis, S. Griffin, * A. Flaherty, * N.E. Hauksson, R.M. Key, A.P McNichol, M. Rudresh, J. Hwang and B.D. Walker (2023). Dissolved organic radiocarbon in the western Indian Ocean, Geophysical Research Letters doi/10.1029/2023GL104732.
Hauksson, N.E., C.B. Lewis, T. Komada and E.R.M. Druffel (2023). Effect of marine sediment on the solubility and isotopic content of riverine dissolved organic carbon, Limnology & Oceanography, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12403
Hauksson, N.E., S. Griffin, X. Xu, S. Pedron, H.A. Martinez De La Torre, C.B. Lewis, K. Thomas, and E.R.M. Druffel (2023). Long term time series of surface water dissolved inorganic carbon isotopes from the Southern California Bight, Radiocarbon doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2023.73.
Fu, Wenjing, Y. Qi, X, Xu, E.R.M. Druffel, X. Wang,L. Ding, S. Shan, S. Sun and D. Fan (2022). Carbon isotopic constraints on the cycling and sequestration of organic matter in rivers influence marginal sea sediments. Limnology & Oceanography, 67, 2022, S61–S75 doi: 10.1002/lno.12070.
Druffel, E.R.M., S.R. Beaupré, H. Grotheer, * C.B. Lewis, A.P. McNichol, G. Mollenhauer and B.D. Walker (2022). Marine Organic Carbon and Radiocarbon – Present and Future Challenges, Radiocarbon 64(4), 705–721 doi:10.1017/RDC.2021.105.
Lewis, C.B., B.D. Walker and E.R.M. Druffel (2021). Constraining the cycling of global solid-phase extracted dissolved organic carbon using radiocarbon measurements, Geophysical Research Letters doi:10.1029/2020GL090995
Druffel, E.R.M., S. Griffin, * C.B. Lewis, * M. Rudresh, * N.G. Garcia, R.M. Key, A.P. McNichol, * N. E. Hauksson and B.D. Walker (2021). Dissolved organic radiocarbon in the eastern Pacific and Southern Oceans. Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2021GL092904
Guilderson, T.P., D.P. Schrag, E.R.M. Druffel and R.W. Reimer (2021). Post-Bomb subtropical North Pacific surface water radiocarbon history. Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016881
Choy, E., K. Watanabe, B. Williams, R. Stone, P. Etnoyer, E. Druffel, T. Lorenson, and M. Knaak (2020). Understanding growth and age of red tree corals (Primnoa pacifica) in the North Pacific Ocean. PLOS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241692.
M. Kim, J. Hwang, T.I. Eglington and E.R.M. Druffel (2020). Lateral particle supply as a key vector in the oceanic carbon cycle, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, doi.org/10.1029/2020GB006544
Fu, W., Y. Qi, X. Wang, E. R.M. Druffel, X. Xu, Y. Liu, X. Shi, P. Ren, C. Luo, S. Dan, Shuwen Sun and Di Fan (2020). Production of ancient dissolved organic carbon in Arctic Ocean sediment: A Pathway of Carbon Cycling in the Extreme Environment, Geophysical Research Letters, 47 (5), 10.1029/2020GL087119
Beaupré, S.R., B.D. Walker and E.R.M. Druffel (2020). The two–component model coincidence: Evaluating the validity of marine dissolved organic radiocarbon as a stable–conservative tracer at Station M, Deep-Sea Research II, 173 104737.
Fang, L., S.H. Lee, S.A. Lee, D. Hahm, G. Kim, E.R.M. Druffel and J. Hwang (2020). Removal of refractory dissolved organic carbon in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica. Nature Scientific Reports, 10, doi:10.1038/s41598-020-57870-6.
Lewis, C.B., B.D. Walker and E.R.M. Druffel (2020). Isotopic and optical heterogeneity of solid phase extracted marine dissolved organic carbon, Marine Chemistry, doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2020.103752
Ramos, R. D., N. F. Goodkin, E. R. M. Druffel, T. Y. Fan, and F. P. Siringan (2019). Interannual coral ?14C records of surface water exchange across the Luzon Strait, Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, doi: 10.1029/2018JC014735.
Sayani, H., K. Cobb, K. DeLong, N. Hitt, and E.R.M. Druffel (2019). Intercolony d18O and Sr/Ca variability among Porites spp. corals at Palmyra Atoll: Towards more robust coral-based estimates of climate, G–Cubed, doi:10.1029/2019GC008420.
Druffel, E.R.M., S. Griffin, * N.G. Garcia, * N. Wang, A.P. McNichol, R. Key and B.W. Walker (2019). Dissolved organic radiocarbon in the central Pacific Ocean, Geophysical Research Letters, doi:
10.1029/2019GL083149
Wang, N., C. Shen, A. Sun, P. Ding, S. Zhu, W. Yi, Z. Yu, Z. Sha, M. Mi, L. He, J. Fang, K. Liu, X.Xu, E.R.M. Druffel (2019). Penetration of bomb 14C into the deepest ocean trench, Geophysical Research Letters doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081514
Goodkin, N., A. Bolton, K.B. Karnauskas, K.A. Hughen, S. Griffin, K.H. Phan, S.T. Vo, and E.R.M. Druffel (2019). Decline of East Asian Winter Monsoon variability since the 18th century. Geophysical Research Letters, 10.1029/2019GL081939
Toggweiler, J.R., E.R.M. Druffel, R. Key and E. Galbraith (2019). Upwelling in the ocean basins north of the ACC Part 2: How Cool Subantarctic Water Reaches the Surface in the Tropics, Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, doi:10.1029/2018JC014795
Toggweiler, J.R., E.R.M. Druffel, R. Key and E. Galbraith (2019). Upwelling in the ocean basins north of the ACC Part 1: On the upwelling exposed by the surface distribution of ?14C. Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans, doi:10.1029/2018JC014794
Cain, W.F., S. Griffin, K.C. Druffel-Rodriguez and E.R.M. Druffel (2018), Uptake of carbon for cellulose production in a White Oak from western Oregon USA, Radiocarbon 60, doi/10.1017/RDC.2017.82
Druffel, E.R.M., S. Griffin, C. S. Glynn, R. Benner and B. D. Walker (2017). Radiocarbon in dissolved organic and inorganic carbon of the Arctic Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters, 44 DOI:10.1002/2016GL072138
Rafter, P., S.C. Sanchez, J Ferguson, E.R.M. Druffel, H.D. Graven, J.R. Southon and J.D. Carriquiry (2017). Eastern tropical North Pacific coral radiocarbon reveals North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) variability, Quaternary Science Reviews 160, 108-115.
Salvatteci, R., D. Gutierrez, A. Sifeddine, L. Ortlieb, E. Druffel, and R. Schneider (2016). Centennial to millennial–scale changes in oxygenation and productivity in the Eastern Tropical South Pacific during the last 25,000 years, Quaternary Science Reviews 131, 102-117.
Bolton, A, N.F. Goodkin, E.R.M. Druffel, S. Griffin, S.A. Murty (2016). Upwelling of Pacific Intermediate Water in the South China Sea revealed by coral radiocarbon record, Radiocarbon, 58 37-53.
Southon, J.R., R. De Pol–Holz, E.R.M. Druffel (2016). Chapter 7: Paleoclimatology, in Radiocarbon and Climate Change: Mechanisms, Applications and Laboratory Techniques, Editors E.A.G. Schuur, S.E. Trumbore and E.R.M. Druffel, Springer International Publishing, New York/Heidelberg, 221-252
Schuur, E.A.G., S.E. Trumbore, E.R.M. Druffel, J.R. Southon, A. Steinhof, R.E. Taylor, J.C. Turnbull, X. Xu (2016). Chapter 1: Radiocarbon and the Global Carbon Cycle, in Radiocarbon and Climate Change: Mechanisms, Applications and Laboratory Techniques, Editors E.A.G. Schuur, S.E. Trumbore and E.R.M. Druffel, Springer International Publishing, New York/Heidelberg, 1-19
Druffel, E.R.M., S.R. Beaupré and L.A. Ziolkowski (2016). Chapter 5: Radiocarbon in the Oceans, in Radiocarbon and Climate Change: Mechanisms, Applications and Laboratory Techniques. Editors E.A.G. Schuur, S.E. Trumbore and E.R.M. Druffel, Springer International Publishing, New York/Heidelberg, 139-166.
Coppola, A.I. and E.R.M. Druffel (2016). Cycling of black carbon in the oceans. Geophysical Research Letters, 43 DOI:10.1002/2016GL068574.
Druffel, E.R.M., S. Griffin, * A. I. Coppola, and B. D. Walker (2016). Radiocarbon in dissolved organic carbon of the Atlantic Ocean. Geophysical Research Letters, 43, doi:10.1002/2016GL068746.
Walker, B.D., S. Griffin and E.R.M. Druffel. Effect of acidified versus frozen storage on marine dissolved organic carbon concentration and isotopic composition, Radiocarbon, 58 DOI:10.1017/RDC.2016.48.
Walker, B.W. S.R. Beaupré, T.P. Guilderson, M.D. McCarthy, E.R.M. Druffel, (2016). Pacific carbon cycling constrained by organic matter size, age and composition relationships, Nature Geoscience doi:10.1038/ngeo2830.
Walker, B.D., F.W. Primeau, S.R. Beaupré, T.P. Guilderson, E.R.M. Druffel, M.D. McCarthy (2016). Linked changes in marine dissolved organic carbon molecular size and radiocarbon age. Geophysical Research Letters, 43 DOI/10.1002/2016GL070359.
Wang, X., C. Xu, E.R.M. Druffel, Y. Xue and Y. Qi (2016). Two black carbon pools transported by the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, doi:10.1002/2016GB005509.
Grants
NSF Chemical Oceanography
The Kavli Foundation
American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Grant
Professional Societies
AGU, ASLO, TOS
Other Experience
Scientist
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 1981—1993
Visiting Scholar
University of California, Santa Cruz 1987—1988
Research Centers
W. M. Keck Carbon Cycle Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory
Last updated
12/08/2025