Physical geographer Guido van der Werf (1972) studies the interactions between the global carbon cycle and the climate.
For example, he is investigating how much CO2 is entering the atmosphere as a result of worldwide deforestation, and how forest fires affect the carbon cycle and climate. In his research, he makes extensive use of scientific data obtained from satellites. Atmospheric measurements are also made to estimate how fires influence the composition of the atmosphere. His research contributes to better understanding of the factors that determine whether forest fires occur at a given location, and leads to a clearer view of the interaction between the climate on the one hand and forest fires and deforestation on the other.