Thomas Kavoo
About Me
I am a PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant in the Climate-Water-Society Lab at Auburn University, a Land–Climate Interaction research group. My work focuses on improving how water, carbon, and energy cycle processes are represented in land surface and Earth system models. I am particularly interested in strengthening land–atmosphere interaction modeling by integrating observations, uncertainty analysis, and data-driven diagnostics. My research aims to improve the reliability of ecosystem and climate predictions under environmental change.
Research Interests
Current ecosystem and Earth system models often struggle to accurately represent water and carbon processes—especially in forested ecosystems. These limitations undermine our ability to predict ecosystem responses to land-use change, climate variability, and disturbance.
My research addresses these challenges by:
- Quantifying model uncertainty using perturbed parameter ensemble experiments
- Evaluating process behavior with NEON flux tower observations
- Applying machine learning diagnostics to identify structural model biases
- Refining parameterizations to improve coupled water–carbon cycle predictions
- Studying salinity dynamics in tidal freshwater forested wetlands, ecosystems increasingly threatened by sea-level rise
Methods & Approach
I work at the intersection of process-based modeling and data-driven analysis. Land surface models provide mechanistic understanding, while observational data and machine learning reveal inconsistencies and emergent behavior that models alone may miss. By combining these approaches, I aim to reduce uncertainty and improve the physical realism of ecosystem simulations.
My research primarily uses:
- Land surface models (e.g. Community Land Model - CLM)
- NEON observational datasets
- Machine learning emulators and diagnostics
- Ensemble-based uncertainty analysis
Background
I hold an MSc in Water Engineering from the Pan African University Institute for Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES), where I specialized in hydrology, climate science, and natural resource management. I also earned an MSc in Natural Resources from Auburn University and a BSc in Earth Science from Maseno University.
In addition to academic research, I have industry experience in hydrological modeling, groundwater exploration, hydrogeological field surveys, oil spill assessment, and geotechnical investigations. This experience strengthens my ability to connect theoretical modeling with real-world water resource challenges.
Research Vision
My long-term goal is to contribute to the development of next-generation ecosystem and land surface models that integrate mechanistic understanding with observational constraints and data-driven inference. I aim to produce modeling tools that better inform climate adaptation, ecosystem management, and sustainable land-use decisions under changing environmental conditions.