Sam Abernethy, Ph.D.

Sam Abernethy, PhD is a climate scientist working on scientific roadmapping and program-building at Spark, focusing on methane removal, methane emissions destruction, and the atmospheric oxidation capacity. He engages with scientists to support the growth of robust research fields through funding opportunities, stakeholder education, and coordinated research programs. He authored several of the key early papers in atmospheric methane removal and methane emissions destruction, and his past research also includes Earth system modeling and determining how to compare greenhouse gases. He holds a PhD in Applied Physics from Stanford University, an MSc in Mathematical Modeling & Scientific Computing from the University of Oxford, and a BSc in Mathematical Physics from Queen’s University.

Recent publications:

• Abernethy, S., & Jackson, R. B. (2024). Atmospheric methane removal may reduce climate risks. Environmental Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad3b22