Professor Lee’s research and teaching concern the interactions between the terrestrial biosphere, the atmosphere and anthropogenic drivers. His areas of interest include boundary-layer meteorology, micrometeorological instrumentation, remote sensing, and carbon cycle science. One focus of his research activity is on biophysical effects of land use on the climate system. Other ongoing projects investigate greenhouse gas fluxes in the terrestrial environment (forests, cropland and lakes), isotopic tracers in the cycling of carbon dioxide and water vapor, and urban climate adaptation and mitigation. His lab group deploys an array of research methodologies, including field observations (eddy covariance, optical isotope instruments, and high-precision greenhouse gas analyzers), mathematical models (land surface models, large-eddy simulation, WRF, and earth system models), and environmental remote sensing (satellites and drones). He is Sara Shallenberger Brown Professor of Meteorology. His recent textbook Fundamentals of Boundary-Layer Meteorology offers the accumulation of insights gained during his academic career as a researcher and teacher in the field of boundary-layer meteorology.
