December 2021

Changes in atmospheric circulation, precipitation patterns, and lake hydrology over the last ~12,000 years in Alaska

As a result of rapidly rising temperature in Alaska, glaciers are melting, sea ice is diminishing, lake levels are dropping, and precipitation patterns are changing. These rapid changes are superimposed upon naturally occurring patterns of climate variability in the North Pacific and Arctic Ocean basins, and must be interpreted in the context of these longer-term changes.

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Using virtual field experiences (VFEs) for science communication and outreach

Virtual field experiences (VFEs) have become more popular in geoscience and field science education and outreach at both the K-12 and college levels. They are incredibly valuable in allowing students to experience or visualize an environment that they wouldn't be able to visit otherwise, while also providing an opportunity for them to learn about the science that researchers are conducting in that environment. VFEs have been shown to be particularly effective for hard-to-reach and hard-to-imagine field sites, like drilling ice cores on top of Mt.

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Tree rings and paleoenvironment on the Southeast Atlantic Coast: insights and developing research

A huge buried deposit of bald cypress trees is providing insights into over 5000 years of paleoenvironmental changes on the Southeast Atlantic Coast. Information from tree rings and chemical analyses, supported by other lines of environmental proxy data, reveals changes in rainfall, sea-level, hurricane frequency, and ecological stability in antiquity. We have initiated complementary analyses to bolster our interpretations.