CSU GeoPAST Group
Colorado State University
Department of Geosciences
Paleoclimate And earth System Theory Group
We use the geologic past to understand why climate on Earth changes and what the consequences are for terrestrial landscapes and ecosystems
Masters and PhD Student Opportunities
We are always looking for students interested in studying past climate, the geological carbon-cycle, or interactions between weathering, erosion, and climate. If that's you, contact Jeremy. If you'd like more information about the graduate program in the Department of Geosciences at CSU, click here.
Check out the new PATCH Lab online database
The Paleo Analysis of Terrestrial Climate and Hydrology (PATCH) Laboratory is now online! This database curates more than 27,000 stable isotope measurements from Cenozoic terrestrial sediments in the northern Hemisphere. The laboratory also includes several simple models to aid in data interpretation.
See the accompanying paper in American Journal of Science.
Recent Publication Figures!
Spatial distribution of reconstructed δ18Op (a) and reconstructed δ18Op 1σ (b). (a) Comparison of reconstructed δ18Op from δ18Oc (large squares) calculated using the yearly mean of monthly long-term temperature data retrieved from NARR for each site. Modern meteoric water δ18O (small circles) is derived from modern groundwater, river water, or stream water. Data points are colored by their δ18O values. (b) The 1σ of the reconstructed δ18Op derived from the variability in the δ18Oc values from each stratigraphic section. In both panels, the black polygon marks the extent of modern-day exposure of the Ogallala Formation (from Manser et al. 2024).
Estimated past precipitation δ18O across Eurasia over the Cenozoic period. Estimates are produced using a compilation of nearly 15,000 stable isotope data, compiled by Ellie Driscoll and now archived in the PATCH Lab. Note that the difference between precipitation δ18O in Europe is substantially different than precipitation δ18O in Asia throughout most of the Cenozoic and up until the late Miocene (from Driscoll et al. 2024).