Bio
I study abrupt climate change through the lens of science and culture. My research focus areas are Alaska, Greenland, and Antarctica.
Click to zoom. Our INSTAAR team spent four summers at the highly collaborative East Greenland Ice-Core Project (EGRIP). We used a field deployable cavity ring-down spectroscopy instrument with continuous flow capabilities to analyze water isotopes of ice for the last 125,000 years. The water isotopes are a proxy for past temperatures and atmospheric circulation, and among other things, help us understand abrupt climate changes in the last glacial period.
In Alaska, I study the changing landscape and hotspot-methane emissions in permafrost-thaw regions. I work with Indigenous communities in the Yukon River Watershed to better understand how to 'navigate the new Arctic', or in other words, to be prepared for the future ahead. In Greenland and Antarctica, I recover ice cores from remote field camps to reconstruct past climates extending back 100s of thousands of years. I am actively involved in science communication through film, photography, art, and public speaking. I also pursue climate policy by taking appointments on task forces or environmental policy boards.
Please visit my website for more about me and my research.
Education
- PhD (Biogeochemistry): University of Colorado, 2015
- MS (Environmental Studies): University of Colorado, 2010
- BS (Civil Engineering - Hydrology): University of Colorado, 2006
Research
I have active projects funded through the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and Sandia National Labs.
My research is based in the polar regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. I am one of five co-leads for the Stable Isotope Lab (SIL) at INSTAAR. The SIL has a long history of carbon cycle and hydrologic cycle research related to isotope biogeochemistry, and in recent years, our scientific footprint has been expanding.
Fieldwork examples
Click to zoom. The INSTAAR drone team has flown custom fixed-wing drones over permafrost in Alaska (pictured) and snow on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Our goal is to understand boundary layer processes (in the lower few kilometers of the atmosphere) and interactions with the free troposphere for research focused on the hydrologic and carbon cycles. L to R: Bruce Vaughn, Tyler Jones, Kevin Rozmiarek, Eli Miller, and Valerie Morris.
Click to zoom. The ice core drilling trench for the East Greenland Ice-Core Project (EGRIP) sits in a human-made ice cave 10 meters under the surface of the ice sheet.
Click to zoom. An international team of ice core scientists - including three people (Tyler Jones, Will Skorski, Abby Hughes) from INSTAAR - celebrating the discovery of an ancient volcanic ash layer from the last glacial period in the EGRIP ice core.
Teaching
I am always excited to chat with prospective graduate students - please get in touch.
I am currently accepting students (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) who have their own funding source.
Current students
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