Eric M. Leibensperger

Research

I am broadly interested in the dynamics of environmental systems, particularly the atmosphere, the broader climate system, and, more recently, lakes. Current projects include:

(1) Monitoring methane in New York State to better understand sources and impacts on air quality (supported by NYSERDA and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Rochester, the University at Albany, Columbia University, and Cornell University).

(2) Studying the impact of weather and climate on Lake Champlain water quality (supported by Lake Champlain SeaGrant and in collaboration with colleagues from SUNY Plattsburgh and Middlebury College). Funding support for previous research projects has come from the Environmental Protection Agency, the State University of New York, and the National Science Foundation.

My students and I maintain and use a number of advanced trace gas analyzers (Picarro G2301 [deployed long-term at Whiteface Mountain, NY], Aeris MIRA Ultra [methane/ethane], Aeris MIRA Strato [methane/ethane], LICOR 7810 [methane/CO₂], LICOR 7820 [N₂O]), meteorological equipment (numerous anemometers, multiparameter sensors), and drones capable of trace gas/weather sampling [DJI Matrice 600 Pro; DJI Matrice 300 RTK]. We commonly collect trace gas observations in our quick deploy mobile platform (Dodge Caravan) and with sensors backpacked.

Atmospheric Chemistry Methane Emissions Climate Change Lake Champlain Air Quality Trace Gas Analysis

Publications

1. Catena, A. M., L. T. Murray, J. Zhang, E. M. Leibensperger, R. Commane, M. L. Smith, M. J. Schwab, A. Hallward-Driemeier, M. L. Loman, and J. J. Schwab (2026) Intercomparison of methane emission rate methods using aerial and ground-level mobile monitoring at New York State landfills, ACS ES&T Air, 3, 1, 16-29, doi: 10.1021/acsestair.5c00145
2. Catena, A. M., M. L. Smith, L. T. Murray, E. M. Leibensperger, J. Zhang, M. J. Schwab, and J. J. Schwab (2025) Aerial estimates of methane and carbon dioxide emission rates using a mass balance approach in New York State, Earth Syst Sci Data., 17, 4555-4568, doi: 10.5194/essd-17-4555-2025
3. Loman, M. L., L. T. Murray, E. M. Leibensperger, and J. D. Maasakkers (2025) A high-resolution inventory of anthropogenic methane emissions in New York State, Environ. Sci. Technol., 59 (32), doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5c07245
4. Carrea, L., C. J. Merchant, R. I. Woolway, J.-F. Cretaux, T. M. Dokulil, H. Dugan, A. Laas, E. Leibensperger, S.-I. Matsuzaki, D. Pierson, O. O. Rusanovskaya, S. V. Shimaraeva, E. A. Silow, M. Schmid, M. A. Timofeyev, and P. Verburg (2025) Lake Surface Water Temperature in State of the Climate 2024, Bull. Amerc. Meteor. Soc., 106 (8), doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-25-0102.1
5. Murray, L. T., E. M. Leibensperger, L. J. Mickley, and A. P. K. Tai (2024) Estimating future climate change impacts on human mortality and crop yields via air pollution, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 121 (39), doi: 10.1073/pnas.2400117121
6. Carrea, L., C. J. Merchant, R. I. Woolway, J.-F. Cretaux, T. M. Dokulil, H. Dugan, A. Laas, E. Leibensperger, S.-I. Matsuzaki, L. J. Merio, D. Pierson, O. O. Rusanovskaya, S. V. Shimaraeva, E. A. Silow, M. Schmid, M. A. Timofeyev, and P. Verburg (2024) Lake Surface Water Temperature in State of the Climate 2023, Bull. Amerc. Meteor. Soc., 105 (8), doi: 10.1175/2024BAMSStateoftheClimate.1
7. Weil, M., M. Konieczny, M. Hossain, J. Cooney, and E. M. Leibensperger (2023) Contributing to a Greener NY: Analysis of Methane Emissions in NYS, J. Undergrad. Rep. Phys, 33, 100007, doi: 10.1063/10.0022471
8. Carrea, L., C. J. Merchant, J.-F. Creatux, C. DeGasperi, T. M. Dokulil, H. Dugan, B. Gibbes, A. Laas, E. M. Leibensperger, S. Maberly, L. May, S.-I. Matsuzaki, G. Monet, D. Pierson, M. Pulkkanen, O. O. Rusanovskaya, S. V. Shimaraeva, E. A. Silow, M. Schmid, M. A. Timofeyev, P. Verburg, R. I. Woolway (2023) Lake Surface Water Temperature in State of the Climate 2022, Bull. Amerc. Meteor. Soc., 104 (9), doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-23-0090.1
9. Leibensperger, E. M., M. Konieczny, M. Weil (2023) Uncertainty in the Mobile Observation of Wind, Atmosphere, 14(5), 765, doi: 10.3390/atmos14050765
10. Catena, A. M., J. Zhang, R. Commane, L. T. Murray, M. J. Schwab, E. M. Leibensperger, J. Marto, M. L. Smith, and J. J. Schwab (2022) Hydrogen sulfide emission properties from two large landfills in New York State, Atmosphere, 13, 1251, doi: 10.3390/atmos13081251
11. Liszka, J., R. Card, P. Clark, K. J. Coleman, E. Leibensperger, B. Mattingly, M. McGuire, J. Nollenberg, K. Vanslyke-Briggs, and L. Wilson (2022) The Common Problems Project: An Interdisciplinary, Community-Engaged, Problem-Based Pedagogy, Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 22, 2, 96-118, doi: 10.14434/josotl.v22i2.31645
12. Murray, L. T., E. M. Leibensperger, C. Orbe, L. J. Mickley, and M. Sulprizo (2021) GCAP 2.0: A global 3-D chemical transport model framework for past, present, and future climate scenarios, Geosci Model Dev., 14, 5789-5823, doi: 10.5194/gmd-14-5789-2021
13. Zhang, H., S. Wu, and E. M. Leibensperger (2021) Source-receptor relationships for atmospheric mercury deposition in the context of global change, Atmos. Env., 254, doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118349
14. Penny, S. M., R. Smyth, G. Sethi, E. M. Leibensperger, C. Gervich, and P. Batur (2019) "Multidisciplinary and Topical in the Science Classroom: Regulating Carbon Emissions to Mitigate Climate Change" in Interdisciplinary Teaching About Earth and the Environment for a Sustainable Future, Gosselin, D. C., A. E. Egger, and J. Taber (Eds.), Springer.
15. Mao, J., A. Carlton, R. C. Cohen, W. H. Brune, J. L. Jimenez, H. O. T. Pye, N. L. Ng, B. McDonald, C. Warneke, J. de Gouw, L. J. Mickley, E. M. Leibensperger, R. Mathur, and L. Horowtiz (2018) Southeast Atmosphere Studies: Learning from model-observation syntheses, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 2615-2651, doi: 10.5194/acp-18-2615-2018
16. Shen, L., L. J. Mickley, E. M. Leibensperger, and M. Li (2017) Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation drives multidecadal variability of summertime surface air quality in the eastern United States, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, doi: 10.1002/2017GL075905
17. Cusworth, D., L. J. Mickley, E. M. Leibensperger, and M. Iacono (2017) Aerosol trends as a potential driver of regional climate in the central United States: Evidence from observations, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 13559-13572, doi: 10.5194/acp-17-13559-2017
18. Fiore, A. M., V. Naik, and E. M. Leibensperger (2015) Air quality and climate connections, J. Air Waste Manage., 65 (6), 645-685, doi: 10.1080/10962247.2015.1040526
19. Oswald, E., L.-A. Dupigny-Giroux, E. Leibensperger, R. Poirot, and J. Merrell (2015) Climate controls on air quality in the Northeastern U.S.: An examination of ozone statistics during 1993-2012, Atmos. Environ., 112, 278-288, doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.04.019
20. Leibensperger, E. M. and R. A. Plumb (2014) Effective diffusivity in baroclinic flow, J. Atmos. Sci, 71 (3), 972-984, doi: 10.1175/JAS-D-13-0217.1
21. Barrett, S. R. H., S. H. L. Yim, C. K. Gilmore, L. T. Murray, S. R. Kuhn, A. P. K. Tai, R. M. Yantosca, D. W. Byun, F. Ngan, X. Li, J. Levy, A. Ashok, J. Koo, H. M. Wong, O. Dessens, S. Balasubramanian, G. G. Fleming, C. Wollersheim, R. Malina, M. N. Pearlson, S. Arunachalam, F. S. Binkowski, E. M. Leibensperger, D. J. Jacob, J. I. Hileman, and I. A. Waitz (2012) Public health, climate and economic impacts of desulfurizing jet fuel, Environ. Sci. Technol., 26, 4275-4282, doi: 10.1021/es203325a
22. Leibensperger, E. M., L. J. Mickley, D. J. Jacob, W.-T. Chen, J. H. Seinfeld, A. Nenes, P. J. Adams, D. G. Streets, N. Kumar, and D. Rind (2012) Climatic effects of 1950-2050 changes in US anthropogenic aerosols – Part 2: Climate response, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 3349-3362, doi: 10.5194/acp-12-3349-2012
    ★ Highlighted as the NASA Earth Observatory "Image of the Day"
23. Leibensperger, E. M., L. J. Mickley, D. J. Jacob, W.-T. Chen, J. H. Seinfeld, A. Nenes, P. J. Adams, D. G. Streets, N. Kumar, and D. Rind (2012) Climatic effects of 1950-2050 changes in US anthropogenic aerosols – Part 1: Aerosol trends and radiative forcing, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 3333-3348, doi: 10.5194/acp-12-3333-2012
24. Tai, A. P. K., L. J. Mickley, D. J. Jacob, E. M. Leibensperger, L. Zhang, and J. A. Fisher (2012) Meteorological modes of variability for fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) air quality in the United States: Implications for PM_2.5 sensitivity to climate change, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 3131-3145, doi: 10.5194/acp-12-3131-2012
25. Mickley, L. J., E. M. Leibensperger, D. J. Jacob, and D. Rind (2012) Regional warming from aerosol removal over the United States: Results from a transient 2010–2050 climate simulation, Atmos. Environ., 45, 545-553, doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.07.030
26. Wang, Q., D. J. Jacob, J. A. Fisher, J. Mao, E. M. Leibensperger, C. C. Carouge, P. Le Sager, Y. Kondo, J. L. Jimenez, M. J. Cubison, and S. J. Doherty (2011) Sources of carbonaceous aerosols and deposited black carbon in the Arctic in winter-spring: Implications for radiative forcing, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 12453-12473, doi: 10.5194/acp-11-12453-2011
27. Fisher, J. A., D. J. Jacob, Q. Wang, R. Bahreini, C. C. Carouge, M. J. Cubison, J. E. Dibb, T. Diehl, J. L. Jimenez, E. M. Leibensperger, M. B. J. Meinders, H. O. T. Pye, P. K. Quinn, S. Sharma, A. van Donkelaar, and R. M. Yantosca (2011) Sources, distribution, and acidity of sulfate-ammonium aerosol in the Arctic in winter-spring, Atmos. Environ., 45, 7301-7318, doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.08.030
28. Murphy, D. M., J. C. Chow, E. M. Leibensperger, W. C. Malm, C. McDade, M. Pitchford, B. A. Schichtel, J. G. Watson, and W. H. White (2011) Decreases in elemental carbon and fine particle mass in the United States, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 4679-4686, doi: 10.5194/acp-11-4679-2011
29. Leibensperger, E. M., L. J. Mickley, D. J. Jacob, and S. R. H. Barrett (2011) Intercontinental influence of NO_x and CO emissions on particulate matter air quality, Atmos. Environ., 45, 3318-3324, doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.02.023
30. Kopacz, M., D. L. Mauzerall, J. Wang, E. M. Leibensperger, D. K. Henze, and K. Singh (2011) Origin and radiative forcing of black carbon transported to the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 2837-2852, doi: 10.5194/acp-11-2837-2011
31. Leibensperger, E. M., L. J. Mickley, and D. J. Jacob (2008) Sensitivity of US air quality to mid-latitude cyclone frequency and implications of 1980-2006 climate change, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 8, 7075-7086, doi: 10.5194/acp-8-7075-2008
32. Wu, S., L. J. Mickley, E. M. Leibensperger, D. J. Jacob, D. Rind, D. G. Streets (2008) Effects of 2000-2050 global change on ozone air quality in the United States, J. Geophys. Res., 113, D06302, doi: 10.1029/2007JD008917
33. Hudman, R. C., D. J. Jacob, S. Turquety, E. M. Leibensperger, L. T. Murray, S. Wu, A. B. Gilliland, M. Avery, T. H. Bertram, W. Brune, R. C. Cohen, J. E. Dibb, F. M. Flocke, A. Fried, J. Holloway, J. A. Neuman, R. Orville, A. Perring, X. Ren, G. W. Sachse, H. B. Singh, A. Swanson, and P. J. Wooldridge (2007) Surface and lightning sources of nitrogen oxides over the United States: magnitudes, chemical evolution, and outflow, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D12S05, doi: 10.1029/2006JD007912
34. Chen, C. H., B. A. Sargent, C. Bohac, K. H. Kim, E. Leibensperger, M. Jura, J. Najita, W. J. Forrest, D. M. Watson, G. C. Sloan, and L. D. Keller (2006) Spitzer IRS Spectroscopy of IRAS-Discovered Debris Disks, Astrophys. J. Suppl. S., 166, 351-377, doi: 10.1086/505751
35. Sloan, G. C., L. D. Keller, W. J. Forrest, E. Leibensperger, B. Sargent, A. Li, J. Najita, D. M. Watson, B. R. Brandl, C. H. Chen, J. D. Green, F. Markwick-Kemper, T. L. Herter, P. D'Alessio, P. W. Morris, D. J. Barry, P. Hall, P. C. Meyers, and J. Houck (2005) Mid-Infrared Spectra of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission in Herbig Ae/Be Stars, Astrophys. J., 632, 956-963, doi: 10.1086/444371

Teaching

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ithaca College. Teaching is an important aspect of my career. My goal is to realize the teacher-scholar ideal: combining an active research program with best practice teaching methods to provide students both state of the science knowledge and problem-solving skills.

I teach classes across the physics curriculum and an Integrated Core Curriculum course on the science and politics of climate change. Physics courses that I have taught include:

• PHYS 101 Introduction to Physics I
• PHYS 110 Introductory Mathematical and Computational Methods for Physics
• PHYS/ENVS 147 Time to Act: The Science and Politics of Climate Change
• PHYS/ENVS 148 Forecasting the Skies: An Introduction to Weather
• PHYS 260 Intermediate Physics Laboratory
• PHYS 280 Learning Assistant Practicum
• PHYS 301/310 Mathematical Methods of Physics
• PHYS 305/323 Electromagnetism
• PHYS 311 Classical Mechanics (numerical modeling recitation)
• PHYS 360 Advanced Physics Laboratory
• PHYS 470 Special Topics in Advance Physics: Fluid Dynamics
• PHYS 497 Senior Thesis I
• PHYS 498 Senior Thesis II

Eric teaches Connor about NOₓ measurements at the Whiteface Mountain Field Station.

My Climate Change Science class as viewed through a thermal (IR) imager.

About Me

I grew up in Kutztown, PA, a small town in Pennsylvania Dutch country. After I graduated from Kutztown Area High School, I attended Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. At IC I was interested in both physics and chemistry, an aspect of my teaching and research that is ongoing.

I worked with the Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Group at Harvard for my graduate studies where I studied the interactions between atmospheric chemistry and climate. I studied atmospheric transport and dynamics with Alan Plumb as a postdoc at MIT.

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ithaca College. I strive to be a "teacher-scholar", balancing both education and research. I previously taught in the Center for Earth and Environmental Science at SUNY Plattsburgh. I graduated with a BA in chemistry and physics from Ithaca College.

When not busy with teaching, research, or parenting, I enjoy hiking and watching ice hockey (go Flyers!) and football (go Eagles!). I am a big fan of music and enjoy performing as well as attending rock and jazz concerts.