Paleoclimate and Geochemistry

NEW!: Visit my research group's new CSU website for a full update of GeoPAST group activities.

I am interested in understanding long-term controls on the Earth’s climate and hydrological cycle, particularly over the Cenozoic. During this interval, the Earth underwent a fundamental shift in its climate, transitioning from the hot, high-CO₂ climate that characterized the Cretaceous and Eocene to the relatively cool, low-CO₂ climate of today. Understanding this transition can elucidate first-order controls on Earth’s climate as well as improve understanding of what our future climate may resemble given current projections of CO₂ emissions.

My current projects include: 1) Understanding the role of silicate weathering in modulating high CO₂ and low CO₂ climates; 2) Researching linkages between silicate weathering and physical erosion; 3) Reconstructing Central Asian climate and tectonics over the past 80 million years using stable isotopes from paleosols in northern China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan; and 4) Tracking changes in primary productivity in North America and Central Asia over the Cenozoic using a compilation of paleosol carbonate stable isotopes.

For a nice summary of my work, check out this profile in the ETH News!