Earth science experts

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  • Christopher D. Arp

    Christopher D. Arp

    October 28, 2022

    Landscape and watershed-scale functions of lakes and wetlands; geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology of headwater streams; ice and water balance dynamics of shallow lakes; surface-water interactions with permafrost; climate change responses and adaptive management; ecology, hydrology.

  • Photo of Alec

    Alec Bennett

    October 28, 2022

    Improving the understanding of Arctic climate-related extreme events and their connection to policy, decision-making efforts, long-term planning, and the effects of long term climate shifts on local, national, and international security concerns.

  • Nancy Bigelow

    October 28, 2022

    Vegetation and landscape change in the circumpolar North as it relates to human prehistory and climate change over the past 250,000 years.

  • Bernard Coakley

    Bernard Coakley

    October 28, 2022

    Collecting new data about the formation of the Arctic Ocean. Studying the history of the Arctic. Promoting scientific drilling to sample the sediments below the seafloor, particularly in the Arctic Ocean.

  • Seth Danielson

    Seth Danielson

    October 28, 2022

    ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥-region oceanography. The functioning of continental shelf dynamics and ecosystems. Maintaining long-term ocean observation programs that document the manifestation and effects of climate change. Studying how variations in temperature, salinity and ocean currents exert control over ecosystem structure and functioning.

  • Patrick Druckenmiller

    Patrick Druckenmiller

    October 28, 2022

    Vertebrate paleontology systematics, museum curation. Study of dinosaurs and marine reptiles from high latitude assemblages to assess their faunal composition, life history strategies and evolution.

  • Hajo Eicken

    Hajo Eicken

    October 28, 2022

    Hajo Eicken is an expert in glaciology. He specializes in the growth and evolution of sea ice, its role in the climate system and its importance for ecosystems and people, both as a provider of important services and a major hazard.

  • David Fee

    David Fee

    October 28, 2022

    Using infrasound (low frequency sound waves) to understand volcanic eruptions and volcanic processes.

  • Sarah Fowell

    Sarah Fowell

    October 28, 2022

    Reconstruction of ancient ecosystems and climates through identification of pollen and spores preserved in lacustrine sediments or rocks.

  • Jessica Garron

    Jessica Garron

    October 28, 2022

    Garron works with a broad spectrum of scientists, community members, agency partners and industry representatives. She integrates actionable, geospatial, and model-based science information into decision-making about climate change adaptation planning and response in Arctic and sub-Arctic communities.

  • Robert Herrick

    Robert Herrick

    October 28, 2022

    Studying planetary resurfacing histories and the impact cratering process using a variety of geological and geophysical techniques and data sets. Exploration geophysics, remote sensing.

  • Regine Hock

    Regine Hock

    October 28, 2022

    Expertise in glaciology, including the use of modeling and field data to assess glacier mass changes, predicting the response of glaciers to future climate change, and assessing the implications on sea-level and hydrology.

  • Pavel Izbekov

    Pavel Izbekov

    October 28, 2022

    Composition of volcanic products in order to understand magma processes at active volcanoes of ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ and Kamchatka. Volcanology, petrology, material science, remote sensing.

  • Jessica Larsen

    Jessica Larsen

    October 28, 2022

    Applies igneous and experimental petrology to understanding active volcanism, through field-based and laboratory studies of Aleutian arc and other magmatic systems. Maps eruptive histories of active Aleutian arc volcanoes.

  • Taryn Lopez

    Taryn Lopez

    October 28, 2022

    Using direct and remotely sensed measurements of volcanic gas emissions to understand subduction processes, subvolcanic conditions, and eruptive activity. Volcanic gas geochemistry.

  • Andrew R Mahoney

    Andrew R. Mahoney

    October 28, 2022

    Sea ice geophysics, with research interests that encompass changes in the Arctic sea ice cover, coastal dynamics, remote sensing of ice, ice-ocean interaction, historic sea ice records and the relationship between humans and sea ice.

  • Chris Maio

    Chris Maio

    October 28, 2022

    Coastal hazard vulnerability, historical military terrain analysis, paleoclimate change and sea-level change.

  • Dan Mann

    Dan Mann

    October 28, 2022

    Environmental change at the end of the last ice age on the North Slope, human impacts on island ecosystems in the South Pacific, fire history in Interior ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥, rock-dwelling microbes in Antarctica, human adaptations to global change in the Makalu region of Nepal, glacial history around the Gunnison Basin, Colorado.

  • Paul McCarthy

    Paul McCarthy

    October 28, 2022

    Expertise in fossil soils, also known as paleopedology; nonmarine sedimentary deposition; paleoclimate reconstruction with particular emphasis on high-latitude or paleo-Arctic; and Cretaceous environments.

  • Franz J. Meyer

    Franz J. Meyer

    October 28, 2022

    Development of advanced radar remote sensing technologies and their application to geophysical problems. He is applying his techniques to the analysis of natural hazards related to volcanic eruptions, severe weather events, and earthquakes.

  • Nicole Mölders

    Nicole Mölders

    October 28, 2022

    Human and natural impacts on weather, climate and air quality at various spatial and temporal scales. Atmospheric sciences, meteorology, hydrology, geophysics, air quality and mesoscale modeling, impact of land-use and land-cover changes on weather, and air quality. Wind energy. Data mining. Remote sensing.

  • Elisabeth Nadin

    Elisabeth Nadin

    October 28, 2022

    Investigating conditions that make rocks flow to better understand how earthquakes are triggered; science writing.

  • Santosh Panda

    Santosh Panda

    October 28, 2022

    Permafrost distribution mapping and temperature modeling and the application of remote sensing on Arctic land cover change and related geo-hazards. Studying complex permafrost dynamics, including remote sensing of landscape change.

  • Andrey Pnyushkov

    Andrey Pnyushkov

    October 28, 2022

    Merging observational data, comprehensive statistical analysis and numerical modeling to achieve a better understanding of the Arctic Ocean state.

  • Vladimir Romanovsky

    Vladimir Romanovsky

    October 28, 2022

    Romanovsky studies permafrost, including the scientific and practical aspects of environmental and engineering problems related to changing permafrost.

  • Scott Rupp

    Scott Rupp

    October 28, 2022

    Ecosystem and landscape ecology emphasizing secondary succession, regeneration, and disturbance dynamics in subarctic and boreal forest. Modeling the response of subarctic ecosystems to changes in global climate and disturbance regime. Modeling the response of subarctic ecosystems to changes in global climate and disturbance regime. Marine and environmental chemistry, climate change.

  • Natalia Ruppert

    Natalia Ruppert

    October 28, 2022

    Expertise in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ earthquakes and tectonics.

  • Ken Severin

    October 28, 2022

    Using the electron microprobe to measure samples for different elements on the periodic table; X-Ray analysis; electron microscopy.

  • Karen Spaleta

    October 28, 2022

    Uses MC-ICP-MS isotope geochemistry techniques applied to interdisciplinary topics in geology, chemistry, biology and ecology.

  • Matthew Sturm

    Matthew Sturm

    October 28, 2022

    Impact of snow cover on local and global hydrology, ecology, and climate. Specializes in snow metamorphism, heat and mass transfer in snow, also studies permafrost, snow on sea ice, glaciers.

  • Elena Suleimani

    Elena Suleimani

    October 28, 2022

    Suleimani works on tsunami inundation mapping for ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ communities. She uses numerical models of tsunami wave dynamics to identify coastal areas that are at high risk for future tsunamis.

  • Carl Tape

    Carl Tape

    October 28, 2022

    Develops and applies techniques in computational and observational seismology to obtain better images of Earth’s internal structure and to obtain better representations of earthquakes.

  • Rick Thoman

    Rick Thoman

    October 28, 2022

    Rick Thoman is an expert in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ climate and weather. He produces reliable ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ climate change information and graphics describing ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€™s changing environment. His work spans the bridge between climate modeling, ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ communities and media.

  • Martin Truffer

    Martin Truffer

    October 28, 2022

    Expertise in glaciology, glacier dynamics and ice physics.

  • David W. Valentine

    David W. Valentine

    October 28, 2022

    David Valentine is interested in ecosystem ecology, particularly in northern regions. Recent research projects focused on how changing soil moisture affects forest soil carbon balance and how landscape position affects soil characteristics.

  • Hisatomo Waga

    Hisatomo Waga

    October 28, 2022

    Hisatomo Waga is an expert in satellite oceanography. His research focuses particularly on the impacts of sea ice dynamics on phytoplankton communities in the Arctic Ocean.

  • John Walsh

    John Walsh

    October 28, 2022

    John Walsh is an expert in Arctic climate, weather, climate change adaptation and sea ice. He specializes in climate modeling, addressing regional vulnerabilities, downscaling models and more.

  • Peter Webley

    Peter Webley

    October 28, 2022

    Peter Webley studies remote sensing of natural hazards, dispersion modeling of aerosols, satellite detection methodologies, the application of unmanned aircraft systems for geoscience research and operational support, scenario planning for natural hazard assessment and risk mitigation, 3-D visualization of aerosol modeling, business development, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship.

  • Michael West

    Michael West

    October 28, 2022

    Directs the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ Earthquake Center, charged with advancing ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€™s resilience to earthquakes through monitoring, research, and public engagement.

  • Michael Whalen

    Michael Whalen

    October 28, 2022

    Studying carbonate and organic rich rocks to gain insights into correlation and timing of geologic events, especially the late Devonian and end-Cretaceous mass extinctions.

  • Laura Whitmore

    Laura Whitmore

    October 28, 2022

    Laura Whitmore is a chemical oceanographer – her work traces elements through the marine system to better understand water movement. She investigates elemental cycles to understand how biological communities, turbulence, erosion, and currents influence nutrients and other elements.

  • Joanna Young

    Joanna Young

    October 28, 2022

    Joanna Young is an expert in glaciology who studies how ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€™s glaciers are losing mass in climate change. She collects observational data in the field, and uses it with climate data to perform computer modeling on glacier melt. She is also an environmental educator and does research on education. Her work spans glaciology, hydrology, Arctic ecosystems, education, and diversity and inclusion.

  • Andy Aschwanden

    Andy Aschwanden

    October 29, 2022

    Andy Aschwanden researches the flow of glaciers and ice sheets and their interaction with the atmosphere and the ocean.

  • headshot of Christina Buffington

    Christina Buffington

    August 15, 2023

    Areas of interest include cultivating impactful place-based environmental learning activities and research experiences for undergraduate students, K-12 students and educators. Christi works on projects that directly benefit local communities and are grounded in Indigenous knowledge and values.

  • Head and shoulders portrait of a man with a beard wearing a dark zippered jacket

    Rick Lader

    October 28, 2023

    Rick Lader is an expert in regional climate modeling and extreme event analysis in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥.

  • A man in a bright blue parka and red knit cap outside in winter holding a red core bit

    Marc Oggier

    November 09, 2023

    Sea ice and air-sea-ice interactions

  • Head and shoulders portrait of a person wearing a striped scarf and blue glasses

    Chris Waigl

    November 09, 2023

    Remote sensing scientist with experience in mapping wildfire hazards, fuels, active fire and post-fire effects in boreal North America. Current research aims to produce and combine both modeled and observational datasets to better understand the climate drivers of wildfire activity.

  • Head and shoulders portrait of a man in sunglasses and a red parka outside in a snowy landscape

    Gabriel Wolken

    November 09, 2023

    Areas of expertise: • Climate hazards • Glaciers • Snow

  • Hilary Shook

    Hilary Shook

    December 10, 2024

    Shook connects researchers and fire managers to ensure actionable science is available for wildland fire managers to use in their decision-making process and to inform wildland fire-related policy.